The Time of Spring
by Narika
Summary: After the war, Sasuke starts to come to terms with what it means for him having returned to Konoha. While spending time healing from his injury, Sasuke lets down his walls, little by little, to reciprocate Sakura's feelings. He realizes that there are many things in this world that he hasn't experienced quite yet. [Blank Period]
1. Friends

AN: Hello, there! Here's something fresh that I've been working on set in the period after the Fourth Shinobi World War. **SPOILERS** if you haven't caught up to the last chapters (699-700) of the manga! I've also added in some elements of things that we learn through the Hiden light novels, if you're interested in them, I highly recommend checking out the translations online! They're really well-written and give so much insight into the characters. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - Friends**

* * *

"Because you're my friend."

The idiot that he had watched and been envious of, was and would always be his friend-his family. He had no one else, just like Naruto. They were more similar than he would've liked to be.

Sasuke had a family that was cruelly taken away from him. He had a brother that he had admired and looked up to that ended up killing their clan, leaving only Sasuke as the sole survivor. Itachi was branded a traitor when, in reality, it had all been conspiracies and politics. When Sasuke found out the truth, it was as if someone were twisting a knife stabbed in his heart. It was too much.

Sasuke felt he didn't deserve forgiveness. He had wanted everyone to hate him, and they did. The one person that held some kind of regard for him was Naruto. They had been rivals-it formed the core of their relationship. And it had brought them to where they were at today.

Naruto was strong. He wanted to be Hokage. He had always talked the talk. Sasuke hadn't believed that it'd be possible. However, after their last fight, he thought it was possible. Naruto had it in him. Naruto had never doubted Sasuke. Naruto had smacked the hell out of him for straying from the path. Naruto brought Team 7 back together again.

Team 7. They had always been in the back of his mind. It was the first of many firsts. His first team. His first friends. The first group he had left. The first that had fought so hard with him AND against him.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said. Not only to Naruto, but also to Sakura. They were a team, and he had betrayed them. Naruto could bear it-he was strong in many ways. But Sakura...Sakura had been so shaken up by him. She loved him and he broke her heart. She probably hated him as much as she loved him. As she leaned over Naruto and himself, healing them, he heard her sniffles and felt her wet tears dripping from her cheeks.

The thought lingered in his mind: will you ever forgive me, Sakura? Sasuke knew the answer to it already although he wanted to hear it from her directly. Sakura was never good at masking her emotions. Her face had said it all in that moment as she healed them.

* * *

Sasuke stood in front of the abandoned buildings. The tattered windows and doors were grimy, but the gentle snowfall covered it up. He wondered if he could live there again in his old home. It was probably a lost cause. It held too many memories and secrets that he didn't want to think about. He sensed her presence approaching him slowly.

"Sasuke-kun."

The sound of his name on her lips was all too familiar. An echo of days gone by. It had been years. They had grown up plenty since then.

After the conclusion of his fight with Naruto, he had been in the hospital. Naruto's room had been right next door to his. He heard everyone coming and going, thanking Naruto, wishing him well.

Sasuke's room was quiet. The plaque outside the room didn't have his name on it. The only ones who knew he was in there was Team 7 and the hospital staff. His only visitor had been Sakura. As a medic-nin, she also checked up on his vitals and to monitor his healing progress. Sometimes, when he slept, he could feel her presence beside him.

She had probably followed him after he left the hospital. He wasn't supposed to be discharged yet. His injuries weren't completely healed yet and they were still working on the replacement for his arm. It had been months and he was getting uncomfortable though. The village wasn't the same anymore, just as he wasn't the same anymore. People were wary of him, scared of him, hated him. He needed to leave.

"You should be in the hospital," Sakura said. She figured that he wouldn't leave without a goodbye. Not like last time. She had panicked when she saw the empty hospital bed. She knew there was one place that she would find him at. She found him there, facing the doors of his old home.

He turned to her now, seeing her fully now. Her cheeks were flushed from running. Her hair was tied back messily. Her eyes had dark circles from many sleepless nights. He could see the pleading in her eyes. "I can't stay," he said.

She steeled her gaze, trying to be strong. "I know."

They stood there for a moment in silence. She was afraid to approach him, he knew.

"I'm sorry, Sakura." It was the only thing he could say. He would apologize for the rest of his life.

"That's enough, Sasuke. You don't need to say it again." That phrase was something that held a lot of weight behind it.

She reached for his good arm, as if holding on to him would prevent him from leaving. He watched as she hesitated to touch him. Her fingers flexed until at last, she withdrew her hand, averting her gaze.

"Sakura," he said.

She looked up at him.

"I'm so sorry." He would say it a million times.

She looked angry now as her fist clenched. She trembled.

"I was stupid and I'm sorry."

He didn't expect Sakura to forgive him easily. She was still fraught emotionally. He had heard her crying at his bedside some nights. He had trouble sleeping for the most part, so he was usually aware of it. He would listen to her cry until she gathered herself and left. She often said things to him about how she waited for him, how he was finally home, and how she really missed him.

She was trying to be strong. He knew that. During the day, she would hold her emotions in check, but at night, by his side, she let it all out. She often looked exhausted and tired, always working on something at the hospital.

Sasuke didn't have much else he could say to her at this point. He opened his mouth as if to form to the words, but didn't know what to say. In his moment of hesitation, she moved, quick as a snake striking its prey.

"Sasuke, you dumbass!" she shouted, her punch connecting with his shoulder. It wasn't as strong as her punches that could break the ground, but it was strong enough to cause him pain. He took it though, falling backwards onto the ground. He hated the slight imbalance from his missing limb. He wasn't quite used to it yet.

"Stop apologizing, just get back to the hospital. Now."

They headed back to the hospital together with Sasuke in front and Sakura keeping an eye on him from behind. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, but he felt that perhaps they could be friends again. He'd let her punch him again if that meant all was well.

* * *

Sasuke hated being in the hospital. There was plenty of gossip that he could hear, people talking about him. They talked about what to do with him. They talked about the upcoming hearings. They talked about the progress in reconstruction of the village. They talked about New Year's coming up soon.

It was really starting to get to him. Everyone blamed him for a lot of things (most of which were true) and wanted to prosecute him. He understood how they thought he could still be a threat to the village.

It was a complete surprise to him when Hinata came to visit him. She had brought flowers and replaced the ones in the vase by the window.

"Hello, Sasuke. H-How are you?" Hinata asked. She was still fairly shy, but she was more confident than Sasuke last remembered.

"I'm fine. Thanks for visiting."

"Naruto was telling me to check up on you. He thought you might be...bored."

There was knocking from the opposite wall-Naruto's way of saying, "Hey." Naruto was like Sasuke, getting bored of being confined to the hospital. At least Sasuke had snuck out that one time. There were plenty more people making sure that Naruto stayed inside to heal. There was also plenty of takeout being delivered to his room as Naruto replenished his energy by eating a great deal.

Naruto would talk to him all the time, telling outrageous stories about Jiraiya's escapades or of Tsunade beating him up. Even Naruto avoided more sensitive topics and kept the conversation light-hearted. They would sit at their respective windows and Sasuke would mostly be listening. They often did this while they had lunch. Naruto could eat almost anything, but the hospital food was really unappetizing to Sasuke. The fresh air helped a little, but it had been months now, and winter had started to set in. The air was colder now, but they still talked occasionally, wrapped in blankets by the window seat.

Hinata sat down in the chair by his bed. They were on strict bed rest, but for the two of them, both ridiculously strong and strong-willed, it was difficult. Sasuke would pace around the room sometimes, his ribs still aching from where Naruto got him or his head a little woozy from sinus pains. He was almost completely recovered though and he could barely stand sitting around all day.

Hinata held out a stack of books. "I brought you some books to read."

He took it from her, feeling the weight of them. They were thick volumes of the village history, jutsus, and even a romance novel. He gave her a questionable look, but she seemed firm in handing it over to him.

"In case you're bored. I'm sure you probably haven't read anything like it. I really liked it though," Hinata blushed. "In any case, this is only the first book. The writer hasn't published the next part yet."

"Umm...thanks." The title, _The Spring I Remember_ , was written in a beautiful calligraphy. A lavender was painted in the bottom corner. Its gentle colors were soothing as the flower itself.

* * *

In the darkness, she was there again. He had heard her speaking to Tsunade outside of his room.

"You should go home, Sakura. Enjoy the holiday."

"I will...in a little while."

"He's not-"

"I know, shishou."

A pause. "Alright. Good night, Sakura. Happy New Year."

"You too."

He closed his eyes when he heard the door sliding. There was a rustle as she set her bag on the floor and she sat in the chair next to him. She released a heavy sigh as she settled in. She liked to rest her head on the edge of his bed and just ramble. It had become a habit of hers, checking up on him.

In a soft voice, she started. "Sasuke-kun, I hope you're feeling better. Naruto told me Hinata came by to visit. Said she gave you some books. I hope you're not too bored here, but who am I kidding? The both of you are so troublesome."

Sasuke was facing the window, yet he could feel her gaze on his back.

"You two..." she sighed. "I'm glad you're home, Sasuke. I've been working on an idea for the hospital. It's not quite ready yet, but I hope you'll get to see it before you go."

He wondered what she was working on now. He only knew that she had trained extensively under Tsunade as a medic-nin. He wasn't aware of her specific duties in the hospital. She always talked about him leaving. He knew it worried her.

"It's going to help the village recover...from this mess. Hopefully, they'll respond well to it. The kids...it's been rough. It's going to...help...them."

Sakura was falling asleep. Her breathing grew relaxed and even. She had her head over her arms, her pink hair covering her forehead. He remembered how sensitive she had been about it back then. He knew that she was out like a light. She threw herself into her work and constantly exhausted herself. He wondered if she had trouble sleeping too, so she worked until her body just couldn't take it.

He slowly got up and placed a thick, wool blanket over her shoulders. She smiled in her sleep and he couldn't help but smile back. He got back into his bed and turned to face her. He watched the slow rise and fall of her breath until he drifted off as well.


	2. Women

AN: Thanks for reading! I don't know how often I will update this, I'm trying so hard to resist doing it sooner, but I want to give in and let you guys read what I've got so far! I'm hoping to continue writing more chapters first to make sure I keep the plot going properly before posting. (Got up to chapter 5 ready now.) Thanks for the many follows and adds! Please review as well! Let me know what you think. :)

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Women**

* * *

Sakura woke up feeling refreshed until she remembered where she was. She cursed inwardly at being careless enough to fall asleep at Sasuke's bedside. It was barely light out. She checked the time and saw it was about four in the morning. She hadn't went to Ino's party as planned, ending up spending her New Year's night snoring away at Sasuke's bedside. She had to admit, she had been exhausted and for some reason, she felt more comfortable sleeping at Sasuke's side than home alone.

He was still sleeping. Sometimes, when she came to visit, she could see his brows were furrowed as he slept. He probably had nightmares of the past, of fights, of war. He seemed genuinely relaxed at the moment though. He lay on his back, but his face was turned towards her and his good hand was outstretched towards her, splayed over the edge of the bed. It was these little moments where Sasuke was completely unguarded that really made her heart swell.

She noticed that there was a blanket on her, wondering who came in and checked up on Sasuke during the night. Nobody really did as far as she knew. Could it have been Sasuke? Shaking her head, she gathered her things to head home to shower.

She turned to look back at him and saw that he was smiling in his sleep. Maybe it wasn't a real, wide smile, but the the edge of his lips curved just the slightest bit. It was close enough and she let herself believe it. She smiled as well, thinking that perhaps, this year would be a good year.

* * *

Tsunade had summoned her. Sakura knocked on Tsunade's door before entering.

"Sakura, come. Sit down."

Tsunade hadn't changed at all since the war. Of course, she maintained her youthful appearance and continued to stash sake in her drawer for 'emergency rations.' Since Kakashi took over as Hokage, Tsunade took charge of the hospital again.

"It's been some time since the boys came back."

Oh no, Sakura thought. It's going to happen soon.

Tsunade said, "Sasuke has already spoke to me about his leaving. He doesn't want to to wait until the prosthetic is ready. I told him he could be discharged in a week.

"His injuries are healed up well. Naruto's too. They'll both be free to go. Sasuke still needs to stay in the village until the hearings are over though. Kakashi can tell you more on that."

Tsunade voice was firm and commanding as always. Sakura nodded. "I'll get in touch with him."

"Drop by his office when you get a chance. Also, I wanted to check on your progress with the proposal."

Sakura opened her bag and pulled out the stack of papers. "I'm almost done. I just need to fine-tune it."

"Nonsense, Sakura. You've been poring over it for weeks. Hand it over. I'll review it with the leadership team and we'll let you know how to proceed."

Sakura straightened out the pages and clipped everything together before handing over the proposal to Tsunade. It was like the fate of the world rested in those papers and she had to breathe to let go of it. It was her pet project and she truly hoped it would get approved.

"Thanks, shishou."

"No problem. Now get back to work and stop worrying. Take Naruto out for lunch or something. He's been bugging me about ramen, that brat."

Sakura chuckled at that and felt like things were back to normal.

* * *

"Tsunade-baachan said it's alright?" Naruto asked, excited at the prospect. It was like he was drooling already.

"Yes," Sakura responded for the hundredth time. "Now, you better behave or else I'll punch you a new one and keep you in the hospital for another month."

Naruto pouted, but he knew she said it half-heartedly. They set off for Ichiraku and Naruto waved and talked to everyone on their way.

"Ohoho! Welcome back, Naruto!" Teuchi greeted him, setting out bowls on the counter.

"Old man! I'll have the usual."

"Yosh! And Sakura-chan?" Teuchi asked, throwing a new batch of noodles into the water to boil.

"I'll have the same," Sakura replied, smiling.

As they ate, Naruto rambled on about what he'd do now that they were being discharged.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" he could see her troubled expression as they headed back to the hospital.

Sakura sighed. "I'm just worried about Sasuke."

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'll keep an eye on him." Naruto beamed at her, hoping to cheer her up.

"I don't mean that."

It was depressing, like the way it used to be when they talked about Sasuke. Naruto would always tell her not to worry, that he'd bring Sasuke back. He was back now, but it didn't ease her worries.

Naruto put a hand on her shoulder as they walked back. "You're really worrying too much. He's back-for good. He'll go out on missions, just like us. I've already been asked to testify for him, and I'm going to tell them that he's good now. He won't leave us behind again."

"Thanks, Naruto."

"Anytime, Sakura...I know how you feel about him."

She sighed deeply, not wanting to start crying in the middle of the street. "I'll always be waiting for him."

"And he's an idiot if he doesn't see that. Want me to knock some sense into him?" Naruto grinned, laughing.

Sakura smiled, enjoying Naruto's cheeriness. He was the hero of the village now, and he was even closer to his goal of becoming Hokage. Everything was looking up for Naruto. Sakura was proud of him.

* * *

"Come in," Kakashi said.

Sakura entered the Hokage's office and saw the stacks and stacks of paperwork that her shishou used to hate. It was weird thinking of Kakashi-sensei as the Hokage. He would always, first and foremost, be their teacher.

"Ah, Sakura. I take it you've heard the news?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama told me this morning."

Kakashi reassured her, "I'll make sure he gets pardoned. How's Naruto doing?"

"He's good. His injuries are all healed now. Tsunade is discharging him tomorrow. Sasuke will be discharged next week."

"The hearings will start in two months," Kakashi said. "I know Naruto is speaking on Sasuke's behalf. We'll both make sure the council pardons him."

"Thanks."

Both Kakashi and Naruto were well aware of how much this hearing would affect her. They all wanted things to be normal again. There was no doubt that Sasuke had inflicted a lot of damage on several nations during his rogue stint. It would really be a fifty-fifty chance of being pardoned for his crimes.

* * *

On the day of his discharge, Sakura personally went to Sasuke's room to complete the process.

"Okay, looks like you're all set," she told him.

"Hn."

"Are you going to stay at your house?"

He nodded.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay with Naruto or something?"

He chuckled, remembering how Naruto had always been. "And live in filth? I'll be fine, Sakura. Really."

"Okay…" Sakura bit her lips, unable to think of much else to say at the moment. "Come and visit me when you have time then."

"Hn."

Sakura understood that he had been contemplating so many things while stuck in the hospital. She knew that he was already planning his journey.

She saw him out to the entrance of the hospital. "I've got to get back to work," she said.

He waved before heading out. She was always watching that back with the Uchiha fan on it, leaving her. She pinched her cheeks and forced herself to focus on her work again. She set off to her office to finalize some reports.

* * *

He turned back for a moment, seeing Sakura heading back to her office. He hoped that without coming to his bedside every night, that she'd be able to rest better.

It was strange being back in his old house, repairing things. He patched up some of the windows and doors, swept the floors, and cleared some of the weeds. It was definitely still a mess, but he had it worse when bunking it with Taka or even back when he was with Orochimaru. He shivered, pushing those thoughts out of his mind.

Sasuke went out shopping for some necessities. He had plenty of money still, both as the Uchiha heir and having dealt in his fair share of missions and international "exploits." He went to the home goods shop to pick out some blankets, sheets, towels, and other miscellaneous items. It was only going to be for a little while. He didn't plan on staying at the Uchiha compound forever. It held too many bad memories for him. The store owner was wary of him, but served him nonetheless.

By the time Sasuke returned home, it was already quite dark. There were barely any lights at his end of the village. Just darkness.

He laid out the heavy futon and blankets, settling under the covers. He lay there unable to sleep properly as his stomach kept growling. Cursing himself for not eating earlier, he got up and went in search of food. It was cold out, he wrapped himself up in a thick cloak, trudging through the frosty streets.

It was late, so many places were already closed for the night. The only place that seemed to be open was the bar. When he entered, a quiet hush fell over everyone. He nodded to Shikamaru, who he recognized, and grabbed a seat at the bar.

"Shikamaru," Sasuke greeted him as he brushed some little bits of snow off his hair.

"Sasuke. What brings you here?"

"I didn't have anything to eat at home. All I want is a sandwich or something."

Shikamaru smiled at that. It was rare to see Sasuke struggling with this facet of everyday life.

Sasuke ordered a beer and a burger. He kept himself occupied with his thoughts as he drank. He noticed Shikamaru reading something as he drank.

"What are you reading?"

Shikamaru had the decency to look a little embarrassed. "It's this guide on the female mind."

Wait, what? Sasuke gave Shikamaru a quizzical look while Shikamaru simply poured himself more sake.

"You have to learn at some point. I figured I better start now. Besides, it's certainly useful when Ino's mad at me or when Temari throws a fit…" Shikamaru sighed, downing his cup of sake. "Why couldn't women be easier to understand?"

Sasuke thought about it. Women didn't seem particularly difficult. Or maybe the women he had encountered in his life were all just very easy to deal with.

Back home again, Sasuke closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep, but it wasn't working. Sighing, he pictured Sakura, head by his side, sleeping. Taking slow, even breaths. The gentle rise and fall of her chest. He closed his eyes, drifting into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Sakura was staring out at the village spread out before them. She was out on a mission with Ino to gather some more medical herbs. She could see the outskirts of Konoha, and on those outskirts of the village was the Uchiha compound, where she knew Sasuke had been at since leaving the hospital.

"Earth to Sakura!" Ino called out, waving her hand in front of Sakura's face. "Sakura! You've got to focus," Ino said, snapping her fingers. "Jeez, I've already gave up on Sasuke, and you should too."

Sakura frowned. "How did we get to the topic of Sasuke?"

"You can't hide it. You've got to stop worrying about him. Eat your lunch properly."

They were up in the snowy peaks. Konoha was typically a warm-weathered country, but they did get the occasional brisk weather during the autumn and winter. Snow was rare, only light drifts that didn't stick much. On the mountains outside of Konoha, the snow would accumulate a few inches at most.

Searching for herbs was a strenuous task that took the whole day, often longer if they didn't find enough. Add in that it was wintertime, they were only focused on the hardy plants that were still growing in the cold. Ino had packed lunch boxes for the both of them. She had wrapped them up in cute handkerchiefs and the tidbits in the bento were meticulously arranged. She also brought a hot thermos of tea. Ino handed the bento to Sakura along with a cup of steaming tea.

Sakura giggled, feeling the warmth spread throughout her body as she drank. "Ino, you're going to be great mother someday."

Ino blushed, "Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way." She poked Sakura's shoulder. "I'm sure you will be too. Anyways, like I was saying, you're still so stuck on Sasuke."

"I can't help it. I still love him. I was so relieved when I found them that day. I almost thought they'd really kill each other."

"Alright, whatever. You can be smitten with him forever for all I care." Sakura knew that she did care. "It doesn't mean you can't consider other options. I'm sure there are some other handsome guys you've met on missions or visiting other villages."

"I have no time for nonsense," Sakura replied.

Feeling the need for a change in topic, Ino said. "That's true. How are things coming along with your proposal?"

Sakura felt relieved that Ino stopped talking about guys-talking about work was so much easier for her. Work was her life. It was her salvation, her distraction from worrying about Naruto or Sasuke. With work, she had a strong purpose-she saved lives. She let out all her frustrations and worries about the project to Ino, who listened patiently.

* * *

"Yo, teme," Naruto called affectionately, slapping Sasuke on the shoulder. "You're shopping too?"

"Good afternoon, Sasuke," Hinata greeted him. She seemed surprised to see him there in the store.

Sasuke had run into the pair grocery shopping. Sasuke could cook alright for himself, but he never expected to see Naruto there. Then again, it didn't surprise him when he saw the mountain of cup noodles piled into Naruto's cart.

"Those things will be your death, dobe."

"I'll eat whatever I like! As long as I'm happy, it's all good."

Sasuke smirked and told Hinata in a whisper, "You're lucky he's easy to please."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Hinata said, smiling, cheeks tinged pink.

Naruto was oblivious to this exchange as he tossed more things into the cart. "Hey, Sasuke. Did you collect your reward monies yet?"

Sasuke was confused, "What reward?"

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei said the council had decided on a monetary award for us being heros of the war. Duh. Hinata said I should save some of it up, so I'm limiting myself to thirty cup noodles max."

That jerk sensei. Still just as nonchalant as ever. Sasuke could imagine Kakashi already. 'Oh, did I forget to tell you? Must've slipped my mind.'

"I told him he's been too careless with his spending, so that's why he's always broke." Hinata chimed in.

"Hey, I do try and save...I'm just not very good at it," Naruto admitted sheepishly.

Sasuke could picture it already. Hinata would be good for Naruto. She'd be the voice of reason when Naruto got carried away. She'd be the one to make him smile when the weight of the world seemed too much. She'd be the guiding light in dark times.

Ever since reading that novel Hinata lent him, Sasuke was starting to see it-how love can really change things for the better, how love can make you stronger. He thought about how Sakura's love for him drove her to become strong in her own way, both in literal strength and the power to save lives. She made a choice to learn and grow stronger, just as Naruto had, just as he had. It made him want to be someone that Sakura could depend on, someone that could support her. Sasuke had powerful combat skills and abilities, but he lacked emotional intelligence-being able to openly show caring, to sympathize and empathize more, and to love. Those were parts of himself that he had pushed down and locked away in the depths of his heart. Since being back in the village again reunited with Team 7, he felt little by little he could expose himself more.

* * *

Sasuke could see how pleased Sakura was. He had waited in her office, observing the precarious stacks of papers and books alongside various glass implements, unidentified liquids, and bottles of medication. On the windowsill, she grew various pots of flowers and herbs. The flowers were bright and cheerful, bringing a spot of positivity to the messy room. Some were still just budding, but some were already starting to bloom.

He had let himself in to wait for her. He figured she was still running around on another floor, tending to someone. Shizune had confirmed that Sakura was in today, so he waited for her. When she finally clicked her heels back into the office, she had barely noticed Sasuke until she sat down at her desk and saw him sitting there across from her.

"Oh! Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if you had lunch yet." It was three in the afternoon, but still, he knew Sakura didn't quite eat on a regular schedule nowadays.

She smiled and it gave him the warmest feeling. It was like all this time, he hadn't been around anyone genuinely happy. Karin was always acting crazy and Suigetsu had that weird smile that gave Sasuke the creeps and Jugo just didn't smile much at all. Sakura...Sakura cared deeply for him and it showed through her smile.

"I didn't yet. Want to eat here or…?" Sasuke grimaced and Sakura laughed. "Okay, no hospital food. Let's go out then."

Was it him or did she seem considerably more cheerful than usual? They headed out to a small cafe. It was warm and cozy inside with logs burning in the fireplace and the smell of fresh baked bread and coffee permeating throughout.

They got toasted sandwiches with soup and sat down at the pair of wingback chairs by the fire. Sasuke was always fascinated with fire. Watching the flames licking the wood and hearing the crackle calmed him, like the way the ocean waves felt to some.

They huddled together over a small end table to eat. He chatted with Sakura, talking about bumping into Naruto at the store and his own horrible lack of color coordination when picking out linens for himself. Sakura complained that he should've asked for help to pick out decor. She said that he must've only picked out red, white, and black to match the Uchiha crest. He denied it, but she giggled knowing that he did indeed only pick those out. She promised to drop by his house to help clean things up, make sure the house was warm enough for cold temperatures.

It was a pleasant interlude in his day to sit there in the cafe with her, speaking like friends. It was wonderful to enjoy her company without noticing anyone else in the room. It was something that gave him hope-that he'd be able to let himself love her as she loved him.

It was in that moment that he saw how uncomplicated Sakura was as a woman and how much he wanted her to be his.


	3. Promise

AN: I get a lot of inspiration from my own life, so I hope the way Sakura and Sasuke interact feels real. I'm really hopeful that the Naruto Gaiden chapters will reveal more on the blank years and the relationships, but for now, I'll just imagine it my way. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - Promise**

* * *

Sasuke had been taking on small missions with Naruto and Sai. Sometimes, others were on the team, but Kakashi mostly kept Sasuke and Naruto together. The missions were small, but important-bodyguards for some daimyo or an envoy to Suna. It was all very light work for Sasuke though. His skills were obviously underutilized, as was Naruto's, but he took it in stride, knowing very well that every mission was a testament to the council as to whether or not Uchiha Sasuke could be trusted.

The hearings had started and both Kakashi and Naruto had given their testimonies and suggestions. Sasuke had also been brought in for an extensive interview. He had toned down his usual attitude a few notches as he answered the questions to the best of his ability.

"What are your goals for the future?"

"Honestly?" Sasuke had to give this particular question some extra thought. Since his parents were killed, his goal was revenge. Since he had killed Itachi, his goal was revenge on the village. And now that the village was saved...

"I want to explore the world and dispel the darkness in my heart. Eventually, I'll get married and have kids."

The interviewers seemed surprised at the simplicity of his statement, yet the weight behind it was strong. Uchiha Sasuke, ultimate rival to Uzumaki Naruto and international criminal, wanted to settle down.

One brave soul, someone from ANBU, asked. "Could you elaborate a bit? What's your reason for wanting to get married and have kids?"

Sasuke felt that these questions were getting too personal, but he could see that he had piqued the interest of the interviewers-they were all observing him quite intently, waiting for his response. His response to this question could very well tip the scales in his favor.

"I grew up in a large family. Our clan had many members and I had lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles. I loved my family very much and I had expected to do my duty as an Uchiha to further the Uchiha name someday. After the incident with Itachi, I had vowed revenge and vowed that I would someday restore my clan's name. Well, I am now the only Uchiha left and it's up to me to build a better reputation. My past has shaped me into a warped individual, but I don't want that to be my legacy. I want to fall in love, feel happy that I can move on. I want to raise my own family knowing that they can be proud of me and proud of the Uchiha name. I want to use my skills to protect the ones I care about, just as Naruto had done for me. Without him, I probably would still be trapped in a cycle of hatred. And I really don't want that anymore."

He let out a big sigh, feeling like he had let a weight off his shoulders. He couldn't tell if the elders were convinced or not about his sincerity. Their expressions were stern and their brows were wrinkled in contemplation. They finally excused him and now, it was all a waiting game.

* * *

It was the little things that cheered her up. Sakura had enjoyed spending her spare time with Sasuke, even if it was just grabbing a bite to eat. It gave her hope-hope that he'd be staying in the village. But every time they went their separate ways, herself back to the hospital and he went back on a mission or something, she felt his aura change. He retreated back behind the carefully built wall that kept his emotions in check. He was still having trouble relaxing around others. His expressions went back to being unreadable.

It was one night when she went over to his place for dinner that she spoke up.

"Hey, Sasuke…" she asked as she helped dry the dishes. Sasuke had been the one to invite her over, and he had even cooked the meal himself.

"Hn?"

"Thanks for dinner. It was wonderful," she said, smiling. "What's the occasion though?" She feared it was goodbye.

Sasuke turned to her-blushing! He seemed embarrassed, as if he was a kid caught stealing from the cookie jar. "Well...you see..."

She waited for him to gather his thoughts.

"I wanted to do something nice for you," he said. "For your birthday."

Sakura was surprised. "But my birthday is a month from now."

Sasuke looked away, trying to stay cool. "I know. I think the verdict will come out soon though. And I wasn't sure if I'd be here for it, so...I wanted to celebrate it early...to make up for not being around."

Sakura's heart swelled at the prospect. She was torn that Sasuke was really going to leave, but for him to plan this, to cook her dinner to celebrate her birthday early...it really made her so happy that he was thinking of her. It may had been a little brash, but she dropped the dish towel and hugged him. She could feel him acting stiff as board, but slowly, he relaxed a bit, gently placing a hand on her back.

She blinked, trying to keep tears of happiness from leaking out. "Sasuke-kun, thank you."

After she let go of him, he sheepishly brought out a small cake, mumbling something about candles and making a wish. Sakura closed her eyes as she made her wish, catching his eyes gazing at her in the glow of the candles. She smiled and saw the littlest smile back from Sasuke.

* * *

Sure enough, Sasuke had been called out by Kakashi a week later. The verdict was in and it was good-the council had pardoned him. "To be honest...Under any normal circumstances you'd be locked away, imprisoned for life…"

Sasuke thanked the powers that be for allowing him to be pardoned. He had been through so many rough times, he didn't know what he'd deteriorate into being locked away somewhere.

Sakura came up to him now, knowing full well what his plans were. She asked, "What if I asked you to take me with you?"

"This is a journey of redemption for me. My sins have nothing to do with you."

She was dejected, even though she knew for months that he was going to leave. He felt bad, but he didn't want to involve her in his tasks for redemption.

He tapped Sakura's forehead with his two fingers, just as Itachi used to do to him. "I'll see you when I'm back…" She was looking up at him, wide-eyed.

"Thank you," he added.

Sakura's brows seemed to relax. She nodded, reassured.

* * *

Sakura anxiously awaited news of Sasuke. He left with limited means of communication, but Naruto had told her that Sasuke would check in with other shinobi and relay messages on occasion. Tsunade had her working on an experiment to see if Sakura's proposal would produce results, and Sakura had put all her energy into it to try and avoid thinking about him.

It had worked well enough after the first month and she continued on after that, applying the same tactics as she had used before. She told herself that things were going to be okay and that Sasuke would return for sure.

She was in her office pacing as she read one of the reports when she heard it. A hawk was circling the air, shrieking before making its descent. It landed at her windowsill with a message tied to its leg. She took the scroll of paper out and immediately recognized the handwriting. The hawk flew off before she could give it a reply. She unfurled the paper and read Sasuke's note to her:

 _Sakura,_

 _Hope you are well. I have had a fruitful start to my journey. If all goes well, I hope to be back in the village for a short time before heading out again. I was walking through a forest when I thought of you. The flowers in this area are the same as the ones you have in your office._

He hadn't signed the letter, but she knew that there was no one else that would send this to her. Although the war was over, secrecy was still important. There were plenty of people that would still be interested in finding Uchiha Sasuke.

Although he didn't write much, it comforted her knowing that he thought of her. The hawk probably went off to Kakashi's office to deliver any updates Sasuke had on his personal mission.

* * *

Time passed like that. Sasuke sent little notes to Sakura every so often. Sakura would sometimes fall asleep reading them. She started to keep them in a box in her closet. Ino thought she was being a little too obsessive over them as she watched Sakura trace the outline of Sasuke's words over and over again.

"You're being absolutely gross now, Sakura," Ino said, sticking out her tongue as if gagging.

Sakura shrugged as she leaned back, laying flat on her bed. "He's important to me."

They were having a girl's night and Ino was complaining about Shikamaru and Chouji when she had found the box at the bottom of Sakura's closet. There was no hiding it now, not that Sakura intended to hide it from her best friend.

"How are you so sure that he wrote it?"

"It's his handwriting."

"That can easily be forged. What if some creep is just using you?"

Sakura shook her head. "He writes about things that only I would know."

"Jeez, Forehead. You two are acting like a lovey-dovey couple!"

"Well, I guess I am, but he's just being nice. He's probably only doing it to humor me."

Ino shook her head, disappointed that Sakura couldn't see it. "Would a guy like him string along a girl like you just to say you're just friends when he writes stuff like this?"

She pulled a random note out of the stack as Sakura dived to try and wrestle it away from her.

"Sakura, I found the second book of that novel in one of the shops here. I've been reading it when I can't sleep. I hope you've haven't been sleeping at the hospital. You should go home more often to rest properly." Ino giggled.

"Or how about this one?" Ino snatched another one and read. "I had some rice balls today. They weren't the same as the ones you made me last time. Yours tasted better for some reason."

Sakura was blushing terribly now. Ino kept teasing her for the rest of night and Sakura could only bury herself under the covers, embarrassed but pleased that she had some sort of relationship with Sasuke besides being team members. She slept well that night, dreaming of Sasuke coming home.

* * *

It was weird sometimes. Sasuke felt his intuition react to something or he'd feel chills every once in a while. He was always careful about concealment and making sure no one followed him. Sometimes, he thought he heard Sakura's laughter. Maybe he had just been away from the village for too long.

He was stopping back at Konoha for the week to report on his progress to Kakashi. He didn't intend to make it known. He barely told Kakashi when he'd be back. After leaving the Hokage's office, he headed back to his house.

He was shocked to see everything was in a better condition than when he had left. Someone had been fixing up the place when he was gone. Or...his hand instinctively reached for a kunai as he approached the door. He slid it open slowly, silently to find no one inside. He couldn't sense anyone around anyway.

Dropping his pack and his cloak, he laid on the bare floor, noticing how the wood had been not only sanded clean, but polished. It was strange. The windows and doors were fixed up, the furniture had been dusted. There were still sheets covering the old items in the other areas of the house, but even the walls had been painted with a clean coat of paint. It was then that he noticed it. There was a small pot of flowers by the window, and he chuckled. Of course, it was her.

He opened the doors to let a breeze flow through. The heat of the late summer made him feel drowsy. He lay on the cool floor and dozed off to the sound of cicadas buzzing.

* * *

Sakura hummed as she made her way over. She had been using her extra time to help clean up the Uchiha compound. She knew it pained Sasuke to be there, but seeing it all in ruins, a reminder of past events, was probably worse, so she took it upon herself to mend things up for him while he was gone. She wanted to paint the outer walls today since the weather was so nice. The skies were free of clouds, a bright blue and the sun was shining warmly. She had bought navy blue, red, and white paint to redefine the Uchiha crest that was on the walls.

That's why she was quite surprised to find the doors of the house wide open. She blinked upon seeing the love of her life sprawled out on the floor in a tank and shorts and his sandals thrown to the side. He was home.

She covered her mouth with her free hand, resisting calling out to him. He looked like he was in deep sleep, his brows fully relaxed and his right hand over his belly.

She set the paint cans down as gently as possible, hoping not to wake him. Of course, he was one of the most sensitive shinobi there was. He yawned, sitting up.

"Hey, Sakura," he said.

"Sasuke-kun...did you just get back?"

"This morning. I talked to Kakashi first and then I came back here. You've done a lot of cleaning, I saw."

She laughed nervously. "I didn't mean to do it without your permiss-"

"It's great, thank you."

Sakura smiled, glad he was okay with it, and said, "I was planning on painting the outer walls today, but since you're back, you should go to see Tsunade so we can attach the prosthetic."

"I'll do it tomorrow." Sasuke said.

Sakura was inwardly pleased. It meant that Sasuke would be around for a while at least. She wondered what to do now as she awkwardly sat down on the floor near him.

She smoothed out the hem of her dress and looked away from him. "Thanks for the notes. I didn't know how to send something back to you-your hawk never seemed to stay."

"It's okay," he said, his cheeks warming up as well. He wasn't sure what else to say about those notes. He was trying to express his feelings through them and he was sure that Sakura understood because here she was, sitting in his house blushing like a bride. He coughed, "You don't need to send me notes anyway. Kakashi always tells me how you're doing. I mean, you and Naruto. What you guys are up to. Working on. You know..."

He wanted to smack himself. Why was he being so incoherent? It's normal to feel like this, he told himself. No matter how much Orochimaru had experimented on him, Sasuke was still a teenager with hormones and Sakura was a young woman growing lovelier each day. He liked the way she blushed around him.

Sasuke thought that maybe he should borrow that book Shikamaru had been reading last time they met. He cleared his throat. "Want to get something to eat?"

"Ahh, sure."

After buying two bentos, Sakura met up with Sasuke at the hill overlooking their old training grounds. Sasuke was trying to keep a low profile. He imagined that Naruto would come bursting over at any moment, being the loudmouth that he was. He shook that thought from his mind as Sakura handed him a bento. They watched from a distance as younger kids were training with their sensei. It was strange thinking that a decade ago, they were just as young.

* * *

Sasuke felt unnerved by the new attachment. He had just been getting used to his missing hand and now, he had a replacement in its place. It soon conformed to the rest of him though, having the properties of Hashirama's cells. He stood at the gates with Sakura.

"You're leaving." Sakura said. It was a statement of the obvious. He had only been back for a few days and she was pouting now that he was leaving again.

"I will return again," he told her. He could see the sadness in her expression though, and it awakened an ache inside of him. He took her hand in his and told her, "I can't promise you much, but I can promise that I will be back."

She nodded, squeezing his hand. "Promise me you'll hurry back."

"I can only promise that I'll try."

"That's enough for me, Sasuke-kun."

He could feel her hand gripping his, not wanting to release him. He lifted his new hand and tapped her forehead.

"Until next time," he said, smiling at her.

She smiled back.


	4. Blush

AN: If you've been keeping up with Naruto Gaiden, you'll notice how Kishimoto-sensei loves to use those cliffhangers. I should throw in some cliffhangers so that people will review, right? Don't worry, I'll get to it eventually. Be happy that I haven't gotten to that point yet...kukuku. Going to be bumping up the rating soon if you know what I mean... ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - Blush**

* * *

It's all right if you never forgive me, but no matter what you become, I will always love you.

The words lingered in his mind. The last person that had told him "I love you" was his brother. Things with Itachi had been a mess, but it gladdened his heart to hear Itachi say it. It was closure and it made Sasuke forgive him. It was harder to forgive the village for everything, but he was working on it. Simply because of the brother that had loved him. Everything Itachi had done was for the sake of the village and for peace.

He had dreamt of Itachi the night before. He wished his older brother was still around. Without him, he had no one to consult on things, like girls. (He didn't dare ask Kakashi-sensei anything of the sort.) He had never given girls much thought before and he didn't have any experience at all with romance and sexual things, save for that idiot Naruto accidentally kissing him so long ago. He shuddered. He had even told Sakura that she was an annoyance, but that was the past.

He had been keeping up with the novel series that Hinata got him hooked on, but it was mostly about romantic love. It helped him with ideas when writing notes to Sakura. He was getting better at expressing his emotions-sharing the little joys he experienced, the things he wanted to share with her. Sasuke was having a hard time with dealing with his sexual needs though. Ever since opening himself up to more emotions, he soon discovered that he started to develop more lustful, sexual feelings as well. And he didn't know what to do about it.

It happened every so often and always when he thought of Sakura. She was beautiful and with every time that he went back to Konoha and saw her, he noticed her more and more. He loved her legs, long and slender and the curve of her firm butt that topped it off. Her eyes were alluring and he felt that she always looked right into his heart. He was afraid that the next time he saw her, she'd see how much he needed her.

He groaned, grabbing a towel to go shower. He was in a small ryokan in the Water Country, investigating a lead. Kakashi had actually given him a mission saying, 'Since you're going to be traveling, might as well make yourself useful.' It was an extended surveillance mission to gather information on a missing nin.

As the water ran down his back, he tried to will himself not to think about her, but he had so much pent up energy, he just needed to get it out. He wondered if she thought about him the same manner. Thinking of the curve of her breasts and her rose-colored lips and how warm her touch was. He could picture her milky, pale skin that he wanted to hold in his grip. He thought about her writhing beneath him in pleasure and he could barely contain himself. He wanted to fit her body against his, feel her heart racing as she rode him. He pumped himself until he couldn't take it anymore and reached his release, slumping to the floor of the shower. He panted heavily, putting his focus on the sound of the water running to calm himself down.

* * *

Sakura was open-mouthed in obscene shock as she leafed through the book. Her face was red as a tomato and she slid low in her seat, letting the stacks of papers around her hide her from anyone's view. She had confiscated one of Naruto's books and her curiosity got the better of her. She was silently scolding herself now as she took in all the drawings and explanations of the promiscuous doings of man and woman. She blamed the perverted hermit for filling Naruto's head with all sorts of naughty ideas (not that he wasn't already a giant pervert), and now, she was falling prey to these horribly erotic...schemes.

Sakura had studied the human body as a medic nin. She learned about females and males and their subsequent parts. She knew how pregnancy worked and how babies were made. But she never saw any part of it as pleasurable. Yet here she was, huddled at her desk, reading a saucy, illustrated novel about the carnal desires. She had dreamed of Sasuke kissing her, but that was it. In the pages of this book though, there was groping, squeezing, licking, and intertwining. Her mind was fried, completely defeated by the excruciating details and juicy tidbits within the novel.

She squeaked as a door slammed somewhere, bringing her back to reality. She quickly closed the book's cover and shoved it in her file cabinet under a stack of old documents. Taking several deep breathes, she checked her reflection in her pocket mirror, realizing she had been biting on her lip quite hard. She tapped a finger to her lips, wondering if she'd have the courage to kiss Sasuke the next time he came back.

The flutter of wings knocked her out of her reverie, and she unrolled the parchment to read Sasuke's latest message.

 _"Two weeks. I'll cook."_

She was giddy with excitement now at the prospect.

* * *

"Ino-pig! Help meeeeee," she whined as Ino laughed. Sakura was going through her closet, looking for something to wear when Sasuke got back.

Ino giggled. "I just can't believe it. It's like you guys are actually going on a date! Uchiha Sasuke asked you out on a date."

Sakura discarded the dress she was currently holding onto the reject pile on the bed. She grabbed another one from her closet.

"You look hot," Ino commented. "This one's a winner."

It was a dark burgundy dress that reached right above her knees. It was tight on her, showing off her curves with a keyhole cutout in the front and a plunging dip on the back.

Sakura stopped admiring it for a moment and gasped. "Wait, I am dressing up too much? What if it's just really casual? Like usual?"

"Nonsense. You can dress up and seduce him whenever you want." Ino was getting a little too into it. "Come on, he's going to be stunned...in a good way."

Perhaps the lack of activity on Ino's love front was the cause for her to encourage Sakura to be more aggressive. Sakura bit her lips as she asked, "Hey, Ino?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think about sex? Have you…?"

Ino flushed and responded, "No, I haven't. None of these dumb boys are good enough for me right now. Why? What are you thinking about, you minx?"

Sakura admitted her story about confiscating a book from Naruto and secretly peeking at it in her office. Ino giggled and told her how hilarious it was that Naruto seemed to know more than Sakura due to his 'education.'

"So are you going to give your virginity to Sasuke?" Ino asked bluntly.

"I don't know. I want to, but we're still young and I don't know if he'll ever want to be with me in that way."

"Young?" Ino scoffed. "We're eighteen now. As shinobi, we're trained to kill. And you think you're not ready for a mature relationship?"

"But-"

"Nuh uh. Our world almost ended-you, Naruto, and Sasuke saved us all. Now, are you going to let the world come to an end again and you'll still be a virgin?! Just do it! Enjoy life! Show Sasuke what he's missing every time he leaves."

God, Ino's pep talk was both depressing yet inspiring. She wasn't entirely sure about losing her virginity. A part of her wanted to do it with Sasuke, but she hesitated. What if it was no good? What if he only wanted her for sex? Sakura had two weeks to prepare herself for Sasuke's homecoming. She'd have two weeks to make up her mind.

* * *

 _Tonight. Wait for me._

That was all the note said. Sakura was so apprehensive now. Sasuke had been plaguing her thoughts all day that even Tsunade asked her if she was alright. She had dropped an empty beaker simply because she started daydreaming and someone bumped into her.

Careless as she was before, she was meticulously checking her appearance in the mirror now. She figured that Sasuke would show up at her house at any moment. She had made sure to force her parents out to dinner that evening so that they wouldn't embarrass her. As soon as she stepped through the door, she started stripping down and shimmying into the dress she had picked out.

She was mildly horrified that Sasuke happened to enter when she was hopping on one foot around her living room since she had lost track of her other shoe.

"Looking for this?" Sasuke said, laughing. "I knocked a dozen times, but…" Oh, how she missed hearing him laugh! He looked the same as always, dressed in his dark clothes with the Uchiha crest on the design. Tonight he was wearing a black v-neck tee that exposed his chest as usual.

"Yes, thank you. Shall we go?" she asked, grabbing a cardigan in case the air cooled. It was the middle of August with the heat from day persisting through the night, but you never know.

Sasuke offered his arm and she gladly held onto him.

* * *

Sasuke felt his throat catch upon seeing Sakura rummaging through her house. She was wearing a skintight dress with a cutout slit on the back exposing the white of her skin. Through the teardrop shape, he could see the delicate curve of her spine and her shoulderblades. She was hunched over on the floor, shuffling stacks of papers and lifting books out of the way. He saw that she was looking for her left shoe, conveniently located right at his feet by the umbrella stand. He picked it up and cleared his throat, offering it to her. She blushed and smiled as he walked her over to his place.

With Sakura's constant contributions to helping him restore his former home, it looked splendid now. They had relegated the old furniture into one room and cleared out the rest of the space, giving it a refresh. He sat her down at the dining table and brought out the food from the kitchen.

He had made salad, beef stew with rice, fried prawns, and dango for dessert. He tried not to let his gaze linger on her-she looked amazing and he was having trouble controlling himself. Over the last few months apart, he had been craving her presence.

Her face lit up at seeing and tasting the food he made. He felt goosebumps watching her lick her lips and he had to steer his thoughts back to the conversation at hand.

Sakura talked as she ate. "Things have been quite uneventful here. I'm sure your journey is more interesting than what I've been doing at the hospital."

Whenever they met, he noticed she tried not to ask too much about his travels. His journey of redemption was something private to him and she understood that. He chose to share very little about his time outside of Konoha. His travels were for himself, but also for the village sometimes.

"Kakashi had assigned me a mission, but it was only gathering intel, so I guess my travels have been quite uneventful as well." Sasuke speared his fork into the beef chunk a little harder than intended as Sakura bent over to pick up the napkin she had dropped on the floor. He his voice wavered just the slightest bit as he asked, "So tell me about what you've been working on at the hospital."

Sakura explained her proposal and how she was testing things out with a small group first. She was working with children and creating programs to promote mental health.

"I wish I had that kind of support back then." Sasuke regretted mentioning it after he had spoken.

Sakura nodded, but didn't seem too bothered by it. She reached over the table and touched his hand. "That's part of the reason why I thought about starting this program. You and Naruto, both of you were affected by the things that happened to you as children. I'm here for you now though...if you ever want to talk."

Sasuke felt himself calm at her gentle voice, but her touch was making his heart do somersaults. It was an innocent gesture and here he was, taking it in a totally different manner.

* * *

Sakura noticed that Sasuke seemed more nervous than usual. She felt herself blush at the way he was looking at her. His eyes were intense, as if he were ready to attack a prey. Maybe the dress was helping him see her as a woman. She smiled, thinking about how much their relationship had progressed from just teammates to maybe lovers. Was he finally accepting her feelings for him?

Their dinner continued in this manner as they tried to fill the air with light-hearted conversation. They moved out to the porch overlooking the backyard. The sky was darkened and stars were visible. Fireflies were glowing, pulsing as they drifted about.

"Sasuke-kun," she said, nibbling on the dango. Sasuke sat next to her, leaning back, having already finished his. He had been watching her as she spoke. "Are you happy to be home?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I am. I've been wanting to come back more often now."

"I'm glad," Sakura said. "I was worried that you didn't like it here."

"I do like it. It's still my home."

"And me?" she asked, leaning over towards Sasuke. "Do you like me?"

Sasuke was blushing-it wasn't entirely visible in the moonlight, but Sakura could see it, feel it. He looked out towards the moon, avoiding meeting her eyes.

"...I do. I like you very much."

She scooted closer to him, and when he turned to look at her, his face was inches from hers. It was then that she realized what he had been trying to hide all night. His eyes were filled with lust and he was looking at her with such longing. It thrilled her to her core.

She reached up to touch his face, but he moved quicker. He closed the gap between them and kissed her. He kissed her and pulled her body against his. His lips were firmly pressed against hers. She thought she would faint-her childhood dream was coming true. She gave in, letting him take the lead. She wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers grasping his hair at the nape of his neck. He held her tight against him with one arm and the other caressed her cheek. She could feel every inch of him responding to her. When they broke apart for air, she saw embarrassment cross his face. She giggled.

"What?" he asked, turning away from her.

"You're embarrassed. Why?"

He cleared his throat. "I've never...I wasn't sure if you…I'm...aroused." he finally admitted.

She felt her cheeks heat up at his declaration. She leaned against him, enjoying his warmth, thinking of how to respond. She didn't look at him as she spoke, afraid of what he'd think. "Umm...do you want me to...help you?"

"No!" Sasuke exclaimed, clearly panicking now. "I don't think I could…" he coughed and stuttered. "L-Let's take it slow."

Sakura buried her face into his shirt, so excited yet also glad that he didn't want to rush anything.

* * *

Sakura focused on the patient, writing up the symptoms and diagnosis on the clipboard. She placed the clipboard back at the foot of the bed when Ino barged in, dragging her back to her office.

"How was it?" Ino asked once the door was firmly shut behind her. "Is he a sex god or what?"

"Gosh, pig! We didn't do anything." Sakura sorted through some paperwork, gathering what needed to be turned in that day.

Ino was wholly disappoint with this revelation. "So then what? You just had dinner?"

"We did…"

"And?" Ino seemed to note that there was something slightly more than just dinner.

"We kissed," Sakura admitted, blushing.

"Score! What was it like?"

"It was...good. I can't believe it happened. He's opening up to me and he's returning my feelings. It's great," Sakura sighed happily.

* * *

Sasuke was staying for a month before heading back out again. He was tasked with small missions for the village and he got to see Sakura often. They tried doing normal things together, such as grocery shopping, walks by the lake, or picnics at the park. It didn't seem too out of the ordinary, but it had definitely been noticed by everyone around them.

He felt a mix of emotions as he admitted to himself that he did enjoy his time with Sakura, that he liked the person he was with her. He liked the way she cared for him, as she had always done. He didn't want to push her away. He wanted to bring her closer.

Naruto clapped his hands on Sasuke's shoulders as he entered Ichiraku. "Yo, teme! When were you planning on telling me that you and Sakura are a thing now?"

"It only just started...a week ago," Sasuke said.

Naruto ranted about how they were best friends and he should've told him sooner and how happy he was for them. Sasuke felt Naruto was going to give him a headache over it.

"You better not break her heart," Naruto said. "She's been waiting for you for so long."

"I know," Sasuke said. "I won't."

"So...what have you guys been doing?" Naruto asked, wiggling his brows suggestively.

Oh god, Sasuke didn't want to talk about this stuff with him. He sputtered in indignation. "N-Nothing. I'm not going to say anything."

"Then I guess I'll just have to guess on my own!" Naruto laughed with glee. "Did you kiss? How about-Ooh, you did kiss! I can see it on your face."

"Shut up," Sasuke said. "Eat your ramen."

Naruto continued on blabbing about this and that and Sasuke, thankfully, could ignore him because he hadn't done anything beyond kissing with Sakura...yet.

As he lay on his futon that night, he wondered though, would Sakura let him get past first base? The rush of feelings he had felt when kissing her was already driving him crazy. What would going beyond that feel like? He had three more weeks in Konoha before he would set out again. His last absence had him stranded on the road, miserable. Sakura had been patient as always. But now, he'd miss much more than her company when he left. He'd crave her kisses, her embrace.


	5. Heat

AN: Hello, friends, new and old! Here's a lengthier chapter with a lot of things happening! Also, if you've noticed, I've bumped up the rating. Keep those reviews coming! Thank you to everyone that has been giving feedback so far! It really helps me figure out how I should pace the story. :)

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Heat**

* * *

They were at the Uchiha compound, fixing up some of the other buildings. It was all good until, Sakura slipped off the ladder, overcome with heat stroke.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked. He had caught her right before she hit the ground. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to work outside today. The sweltering heat was nothing to Sasuke, he relished it. Working up a good sweat was pleasant to him.

"Ahh, I just need to rest a bit."

Sasuke shook his head. "Alright, that's it for today. Let's go inside where it's cool."

He helped her inside and put her on the couch. He handed her a glass of cold juice and watched her carefully as she drank.

"Thanks, Sasuke. I'm fine, really." She smacked her lips after gulping down the whole cup. Laying her head back down on the couch, she closed her eyes. He wet a towel with cold water and placed it on her forehead. She sighed at the sensation.

"We should've just stayed in."

"It's the heat and other stuff," Sakura said, laying her hands across her belly. "I just need to rest."

Sasuke nodded, sitting down on the floor, leaning his head against her. He felt more helpless in these situations. Sakura was a trained medic, but Sasuke only knew some basic first aid. He had never tried using his chakra to heal either. He only did what he remembered his mother doing for him a long time ago. Sakura soon dozed off. Sasuke changed out the towel and hoped she'd feel better after napping.

He ended up napping as well, but when he woke, he was surprised to see Sakura laying on him. She had slipped off the couch and cuddled up on him. His face flushed when he realized he could see down her shirt. He groaned as she wiggled and hugged him as if he were her pillow. Her skirt was riding up on his thigh-he could almost see her panties. His arm was wedged between her breasts and she had wrapped her legs around his waist. He was losing his composure and fast.

"Oh god, Sakura," he whispered. It was mental torture for him as he focused on deep, calming breaths. Sakura finally woke up though, and he hoped she'd extricate herself from him soon.

"Mmm. That was a good nap," Sakura said, yawning and stretching. Sasuke was staring at her pointedly. It was then that she noticed their compromising position. "Oh gosh…"

Sakura slowly shifted her legs, but she kept her arms around him. He cleared his throat and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, very much so. Thanks for letting me nap." She was blushing and she avoided his gaze. She probably noticed exactly how he was struggling to remain composed at the moment. "I should-"

He stopped her short with a kiss. He kissed her unabashedly, relishing the way she parted her lips for him. He kissed her greedily, wanting more. The surge of emotions, the connection he felt when kissing her lips-he wanted it. He wanted to feel more of it. He whispered to her, "I'll let you get away with using me a pillow if we make out right now."

She giggled and leaned back in for another kiss, hanging on to him tightly. He loved it.

* * *

Kakashi eyed his dark-haired pupil standing before him. The word around town was that Sasuke had finally started dating Sakura. They seemed innocent enough in public-walking together, holding hands, or light pecks on the cheek. Kakashi wondered if Sasuke was really such a shy guy though.

"So, how are things with you and Sakura?"

"It's good," Sasuke replied.

He showed no emotions in his face, all serious and ready for whatever mission Kakashi was going to give him. Sasuke wasn't any fun at all in front of his teacher. Naruto was always telling Kakashi about how he got Sasuke riled up or to freak about something. In front of Kakashi, Sasuke remained calm and collected.

"Are you sure you want this mission?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Alright, but you know, being away from Sakura for so long...It's not very good for a budding relationship."

Sasuke, cool as ever, responded, "I'm aware of that."

As Kakashi handed the mission scroll to Sasuke, he leaned in close and whispered, "Sometimes, it's best if you seal the deal. You know?"

When Sasuke didn't show any reaction to it, Kakashi threw in a wink, and all of a sudden, a blush formed on the Uchiha's cheeks upon comprehending exactly what Kakashi was suggesting. Sasuke left Kakashi's office at a brisk pace and didn't turn back. Kakashi giggled at the thought that the young Uchiha was still a virgin.

* * *

"I got my assignment from Kakashi," he told Sakura.

Sakura was silent as she focused on the paper in front of her, scribbling her signature at the bottom of the page. She finally looked up after placing the paper on the growing stack to her left.

"I got my assignment," Sasuke restated.

She released the paperwork, got up, took the few short strides over to him, and hugged him. She squeezed his back, her fingers clinging to his shirt. He closed his eyes and held her in his arms feeling, for the first time, the desire to truly stay behind. They both knew the moment of their separation was bound to happen-their relationship revolved around it, but it didn't make it any easier.

"I'm going to miss you," she mumbled into his shirt, head buried into his chest.

He didn't say anything else. He just held her there like that for a good ten minutes, filling himself up with memories of her warmth, her scent, and her pink hair tickling his chin.

* * *

Sasuke had one week before heading out. He had one week to decide where he'd leave his relationship with Sakura at. Sakura had been incredibly patient and laid back about things. Sasuke, on the other hand, felt like worries invaded his mind and he couldn't rest easy. He worried that some enemy would figure out that Sakura was his weakness. He worried that Sakura was unsatisfied with the rate they were going at. He even worried that on the smallest chance of Sakura meeting someone else while he was gone, she might not want to be with him anymore. (His fears were completely irrational considering she had loved him unrequited for _years_ already.)

Such were his thoughts as he tried to sleep that night. Alone in his house, it seemed lonely. Sakura had already become a natural part of his house-tidying things up, helping to decorate, and spending time with him. Her presence in the Uchiha compound had made him like it more. It helped ease the sorrows of the past.

He picked up the second installment of the romance novel and continued to read, letting its words guide him to sleep.

* * *

Sakura's parents were excited to formally meet Sasuke. Sakura had been head over heels in love with him as a young girl, and it was interesting to see what the boy was really like. They had told Sakura to bring him home for a casual lunch. Mebuki had prepared a family-style meal while Kizashi sat on the couch reading a newspaper.

"Remember, don't ask about his family. And don't mention the war. Just talk about...the weather or something."

"Oh, for goodness sakes, Sakura," Kizashi said. "Stop fretting. We'll be perfectly civil to him."

Sakura bit her lip and pouted as her father simply flipped to the next page of the newspaper. She sat there in the armchair across from him, awaiting Sasuke's arrival.

* * *

Sasuke was nervous as he knocked on the Haruno's front door. Three times in quick succession. Thank goodness Sakura was the one that answered it. He had agreed to have lunch with her family because he wanted her parents to be at ease about him. He knew it might be difficult for them to accept him as their daughter's...boyfriend. He still had trouble thinking of himself as a 'boyfriend.'

"Sasuke-kun, come on in," Sakura said. She had warned him the day before about each of her parents' quirks. She had tried as best as possible to prepare him for lunch. She smiled at him now though, easing his tension just a little.

He observed the cozy living space, greeting Sakura's father. "Haruno-san, pleasure to meet you."

Kizashi shook Sasuke's hand and gripped it firmly. "Well, son, we're glad to have you today. Sakura's been telling us all about you since forever…"

"Dad, please!" Sakura groaned.

"...she's been obsessed with you since she was like, ten." Kizashi laughed. "I remember she'd come home and tell me all about how amazing you were."

"Okay, stop teasing her, hon," Mebuki said, emerging from the kitchen. "Welcome, Sasuke-kun." She gave him a quick hug before telling everyone to sit down to eat.

Sasuke was glad for that as Sakura steered him into the kitchen. The food smelled wonderful and the table was already set. Sasuke took the seat across from Mebuki and Sakura sat across from her father. Mebuki told them to dig in and started passing the plates around.

"Please eat up, Sasuke. I wasn't sure what you like so I made all sorts of stuff," Mebuki said, smiling.

Sasuke replied, "Thank you. You didn't have to go through the trouble."

"Nonsense! It's not every day that Sakura brings home a guy."

They chatted quite normally and Sasuke did his best to answer their questions politely. Sakura squeezed his thigh under the table, reassuring him that he was doing well.

As the conversation slowed, Sakura's father took the opportunity to dive into a new topic. "Sasuke-kun, I don't know if your parents had the chance to talk to you about sex."

Sasuke choked on the snow peas he was eating as Sakura stood up immediately. "OH MY GOD, DAD! Please stop."

Kizashi coughed before plowing right on. "You know, you're both young and I wouldn't mind grandchildren, but-"

Sakura threw herself in front of her dad, covering his mouth. Mebuki smoothly just offered Sasuke more of the grilled pork chops. Sasuke awkwardly took another piece and thanked her as Sakura dragged her dad out to the living room.

* * *

"I think that went...well." Sasuke said, hoping to cheer Sakura up. They were sitting on the park bench eating ice cream cups. Sakura figured that her parents had embarrassed her well enough for the afternoon, so they went out for a walk.

Sakura sighed. "I'm so sorry you had to endure that."

Sasuke smirked and poked at Sakura's cheek with a cold finger. She pouted. He held up a spoonful of vanilla ice cream to her mouth. She blushed and his face felt hot as well as he fed her that ice cream. It seemed to cheer her up though as she held her spoon up to him as well.

* * *

Sakura went home and lay in bed, wondering what Sasuke thought of her. He didn't vocally express his love for her yet, just saying that he liked her. His actions spoke louder as he tried very hard to be caring towards her. She could see the way he pushed his own boundaries to do something like today, feeding her ice cream. It was a totally couple-like thing to do, and the stoic, calm Uchiha Sasuke would've never done that in public. It was only in front of her that he tried to be more kind and affectionate. It warmed her heart knowing that.

She wanted to support him and his needs, but every time they were making out and she could feel Sasuke getting aroused, he pushed her away. She had to figure out what to do about that because she was quite sure that she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. She just needed to convince him that they-that their relationship was ready for more.

* * *

Sasuke was surprised that Sakura wanted to cook for him that evening. She had been busy all week and she finally had extra time to spend with him, yet she wanted to cook instead of eating out somewhere. He obliged, of course, and they went grocery shopping together before heading back to his place.

Sakura hummed as she prepped the food, giving tasks to Sasuke as well.

"What's the occasion?" Sasuke asked as he rinsed the vegetables.

"I just wanted to cook," Sakura said, smiling at him. He knew the words that they both didn't want to say. It was something to do before they would separate again. He had to leave tomorrow and it would be their final day together for a while.

"Hn," he responded as he immersed himself in cutting up the scallions so that each piece was perfectly the same size as the rest. It was a bad habit of his, but for some reason, it was therapeutic to do so. Sakura didn't seem to mind it.

She was preparing the grill for eel, heating up the charcoal and mixing up the barbecue sauce. Wearing an apron in his kitchen, she looked like the perfect housewife. She patted the fillets dry before setting it on the grill. He watched, mesmerized as she tended to the grill, the heat tinging her cheeks and sweat forming on her brow.

He brought himself back to his present task of spearing mushrooms, pepper, and onions onto skewers for grilling. Sasuke was also heating up water on the stove for miso soup.

As time passed, Sakura finished up the grilled eel and skewers, while Sasuke prepared the soup. When they finally sat down to eat, the both of them were hot and sweaty. The eel was delicious over rice with the sauce soaking in. The skewers were light and tasty and the soup completed the meal.

Sakura placed more eel into his bowl with a blush. "Have some more," she said.

"Thanks," he responded, smiling. It was absolutely delicious and he felt like he'd eat all of it up without leaving leftovers. "Did your mom teach you how to make this?"

"Yes, she did," Sakura replied with a demure smile. "She told me it was the surefire way to a man's heart-to make delicious food that he can't resist."

His cheeks grew hot, realizing the way she was looking at him. Her eyes were twinkling mischievously, as if she knew something he didn't.

She scooted closer to him and leaned against his chest, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. "Is it to your liking?"

"Yes," he gulped, swallowing a mouthful of rice and eel.

She had settled against him, eating the last piece of pepper off one of the skewers.

"I'm glad," she said, licking her lips.

He averted his gaze and finished off the bowl of rice, hastily drinking more of the soup. She remained there, glued to his side, her warm body against his.

For their typical dates, they would cuddle and make out, but now, he was feeling nervous. Sakura was acting different than usual, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He started to make the motions for cleaning up, but she stopped him.

"Let's just leave it for now," she said, taking his hand and leading him to the bedroom.

They would just lay on his bed sometimes, talking. Sakura seemed to have other plans though. She pushed him down on the bed and straddled him. Sasuke was immediately turned on, but also alarmed at her actions.

She crossed her arms as she sat across his hips. "Sasuke-kun, we need to talk."

"Uh-huh…" He was still confused why she was on top of him like so.

She smiled a gentle, innocent smile and it threw him off. He almost forgot that she was straddling him. Almost. "We've been dating for almost a month now," she said.

He nodded.

"And we've held hands and kissed…" She looked straight into his eyes as she spoke. "And I think it's time we move on. To other things."

"Sakura…" he started, but she silenced him with a kiss, leaning on top of him and pressing her lips against his. He loved kissing her, feeling her lips against his.

When they broke apart, she kept her face inches from his and said softly, "I want _more_. I want to do so many things with you...if you'll let me."

Her emerald eyes were sincere and pleading. Sasuke could feel his heart rate speeding up, he wanted to push down his desire for her, but here she was, straddling him and asking him to do more. She was fanning the flames, and it was like she flipped a switch and he was going crazy.

"But-" he started, wanting to protest. He wanted to be a gentleman. He didn't want to push her into doing anything. Hell, he was scared of going any further because he didn't know what he would do to her. It'd be easy to tip the balance between love and lust.

She took his hand and guided it under her shirt. "I know you won't hurt me, Sasuke-kun." She pressed it against her breast and he could feel the tender softness under his fingers. He felt a shiver run through him. "You said to take it slow, but let's speed things up. Just a little bit. _Please_."

He sucked in a breath as she reached under his shirt, letting her fingers trail across his skin. She raked her fingers across his nipples as she ground her hips down on him. He could barely hold back.

"Sakura," he said, huskily. "You are..."

"I am yours, Sasuke-kun," she said. "And I am not afraid of you. I want to do all sorts of things with you…"

He gasped as she rocked her hips-she was rubbing herself right against his erection. "You're being a very... _naughty_...girl."

She giggled as he squeezed her boobs and then groped his way down her body, finally settling on squeezing her butt. He pulled her down for a fierce kiss, his tongue sliding against hers. They grappled with each other, each wanting to dominate. She made quick work of his pants, pulling them down to reveal his boxers and his hard on. She stuck her hand under the waistband and gripped him, reveling in the sensation of holding him. He groaned as she touched him, exploring. Even in the dark of his room, he could see her flushed face. It was exhilarating the way she ran her hand up and down his shaft. He felt utterly defeated by her boldness.

She stopped for a moment, pulling down her shorts and tossing it aside. She readjusted herself and moved his hand under the waistband of her wet panties.

"Sasuke-kun," she said, breathily, "Touch me."

Sasuke let his fingers touch her wetness and groaned. "Y-You're soaking wet," Sasuke stammered. When did Sakura become like this? She was beautiful and sexy and was driving him nuts.

He hesitated to continue, but in one swift motion she pulled her panties down and guided his finger inside of her. He felt himself harden even further as he pumped his finger in and out of her. Coated in her honey, it slid effortlessly. He curved his finger until he felt her core and she bucked. He smirked, encouraged by her reaction, as he continued his ministrations.

"Gosh, yes," Sakura moaned. "Just like that. More."

Encouraged by her moans and her tight grip on himself, they continued until they were both at the breaking point. He made her come first, increasing the speed until she clenched around him, and he followed shortly after. They had made a mess of the bed, but they just lay there, panting.

Sasuke watched Sakura lick his residue off her fingers. He licked his fingers as well, tasting her for the first time. They faced each other and he could see her pleased smile. He felt a surge of pride at having watched her come undone.

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asked, snuggling up against his side.

"Yes, stay," he responded.

* * *

Sasuke felt mildly embarrassed the next morning as Sakura walked out of the shower in his towel. It was barely covering her thighs. He knew what she was up to.

He turned his gaze away and focused on packing things. He had to leave and Sakura kept tempting him to stay. He knew she was doing it on purpose, especially since she was spending extra time, slowly licking her lips while eating breakfast.

"Sakura…" he whined. "I promise I'll be back as soon I can. So stop…"

She pouted. "You still have time before you go…"

"How come you're all…" he paused, almost unable to say it out loud. "...horny anyway? What's gotten into you?"

She bit her lips as she pulled something out from her bag. "I've been doing some reading…"

His eyes widened at the cover and he hastily stopped her from opening it, setting it aside on the table. It was one of Naruto's all-too familiar erotic novels. Some things never changed. But how in the world did Sakura get her hands on that?

"I see," he said, his face warm as he tried not to think about the Sakura in his bed last night. "I really need to get ready, Sakura. Go get changed."

Focus. Need to pack extra papers for messages. Sasuke got up from the table, looking for whatever items he might have missed out on as Sakura trailed behind him. She was wearing her typical clothes, ready for work. He triple-checked his pack before turning to Sakura, wrapping his arms around her.

"Listen, I have to go. I'll keep in touch," he said.

He could see the sadness in her eyes. She wanted to believe in an illusion-that he could stay with her all day, every day, years without leaving her side. She sighed deeply, looking away into the distance. He could see her eyes starting to get watery, she was holding back tears.

"Sakura…" he started, clearing his throat. He tipped her chin up so that he could look directly into her eyes. "Know that you are so important to me. I will return to your side again."

He leaned in and kissed her, gentle and soft, wanting to convey his feelings to her. She embraced him, hugging him hard, fingers digging into him. He inhaled deeply, lingering just a little longer. Her warmth and her company-he will miss it immensely.

He slowly pushed her away, feeling her grip grow limp. She looked up at him with a sad smile, but he knew she understood. She understood that it is his nature to wander and that he has many loose ends to tie up. She knows that there are things that only he can do, places only he can infiltrate, and that's why he's the one being sent on these missions. She wishes he could stay, but she knows that he must go.

Sasuke lifted his two fingers and touched her forehead. "Until next time," he said. And then he smiles-genuinely smiles because he is so happy to have her in his life and to have fallen for her. He smiles, giving Sakura something positive to remember him by, and he can see her expression soften, lips quivering, but she's happy. He can tell.

* * *

Sakura was having lunch with Ino in her office. Sasuke had been gone for a month already, and Sakura had gotten back into the rhythm of work. Ino had been good enough to bring her lunch when she noticed Sakura hadn't ate yet.

"You've got to keep your body in shape, Sakura. And that includes eating on a normal schedule."

Sakura sighed as Ino shoved the bento in front of her face. She put the papers to the side and opened the bento to eat. It was curry over rice, warm and hearty.

She smiled. "Thanks, Ino-pig."

Ino waved it off, pulling up a chair and sitting across from Sakura. She had a curry bento as well, pulling off the cover to dig in.

"By the way…" Ino said, "You never told me what happened with you and Sasuke. How did your dates go?"

Sakura stuff a mouthful of rice into her mouth and chewed. "It's been good."

"I see…" Ino pulled her chair closer to Sakura's desk. Leaning in close, she whispered. "So did you guys do it?"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know if I really wanted to yet. Sasuke didn't show any inclination towards it, so...we didn't."

Sakura had enjoyed the last few weeks with Sasuke home. It was a shame he had to leave again, especially right after they...

"You're leaving something out," Ino declared. She was looking Sakura up and down. "I can tell when you're hiding something. Spill."

Sakura could feel Ino's gaze piercing her. She focused on eating but every time she looked up, Ino was making that face. Sakura's cheeks were starting to color, and Ino squealed in victory.

"I KNEW IT! You guys _did_ do something!" Ino exclaimed.

Sakura thought back to that night and Sasuke's fingers and his...She quickly shook the image out of her mind. She didn't want to think about those things with Ino right in front of her. Sasuke had been gone for so long now, and she thought about him plenty at night.

"Okay!" Sakura admitted reluctantly. "We got to second base."

Ino smirked and giggled, "So how big is he?"

Sakura smacked Ino's shoulder. "I'm never going to tell you!"

* * *

Sasuke sneezed. He was having lunch at a small cafe along the road, hoping to make enough progress to reach the Earth Country by nightfall. He was about to take another sip of tea when he felt his nose twitch and he sneezed again. Shino and Shikamaru didn't seem fazed at all by it.

"Someone must be talking about you," the waitress said with a giggle.

"Probably my girlfriend," he responded, liking how easily it flowed off his tongue. The waitress ignored him after, now knowing that he wasn't available. He always thought it strange how many girls made gaga eyes at him considering he always gave off an aura of seriousness and killing intent. He left change on the table.

"Let's head out," he said to Shikamaru.

The mission was to investigate a possible lead on Orochimaru's hideout. Rumor was that there were several disappearances of highly skilled ninja in the mountainous region. Sasuke suspected there might be a base somewhere hidden there. Kakashi had only given Sasuke the mission after considering that the perpetrator behind these missing-nin might be Orochimaru. He also insisted that Sasuke not take this on alone, so Shikamaru and Shino were with him. Both were assets in stakeouts and Sasuke trusted them. Of course, he didn't think that the three of them were necessary against Orochimaru-the guy was just a tricky bastard to catch. Sasuke knew that he could take on Orochimaru on his own with his powers. Something else was nagging at the back of his mind though.

"Yo, Sasuke," Shikamaru said, interrupting his thoughts. "Does Sakura know? What you're doing?"

Sasuke frowned. "No, I don't tell her, but I'm sure she suspects it. Plus, she could always just ask Kakashi-sensei."

"True, but she's not the type to."

Shino nodded in agreement. Shikamaru and Shino were perfect company for Sasuke. They were all men of few words and focused on getting the task done. They were easy to work with.

The mission was dangerous. They were entering the Earth Country secretly to look for Orochimaru and his hideout. Although the Tsuchikage knew about the situation, the typical shinobi from Iwagakure wouldn't. The mission was allowed on the condition that they move with utmost secrecy. If they were found by others, they would be sent back to Konoha.

They could see the mountains right in front of them, but they still had a ways to go. They'd be able to reach the foot of the mountains before nightfall, but to hike up and search every nook and cranny for a hideout would take more time. It was a rough mission with no guarantees of results.

As they made camp for the night, Sasuke felt weary. It was like being away from Sakura drained his energy. She was his home, his safe haven. He felt refreshed and energetic whenever they were together. When away on his missions, he always felt better picturing her smile, if only for a moment. He watched the flames cast shadows around them as the team ate.

"We're lucky the weather is good during this time of the year," Shino said. "Otherwise, it'd be windy and cold in the mountains."

"It's true," Shikamaru said. "I hope it's worth it though, this trip. What do you think, Sasuke?"

Sasuke had reviewed the information that they had over and over again. "I can't be sure until we take a look. There will be items that would indicate if it is indeed Orochimaru here causing the disappearances."

Shikamaru nodded. "Let's turn in for the night. You want to take first watch?"

"Yes," Sasuke responded.

As Shikamaru and Shino slept first, Sasuke continued to watch the flames. The embers were faint now, the wood charred. He stepped on the branches, the burnt wood crumbling under his weight. He breathed in the charcoal scent and exhaled. He closed his eyes, listening, feeling for things in the distance. It seemed safe, barely any critters about either. The mountains were rocky and unsuitable for most creatures. Or perhaps the lack of wildlife was indication of something else at work.

He opened his eyes, seeing the crescent moon in the distance. The mountainside was lit by its weak light. The stars were cast above, scattered. The rocks all looked the same in the darkness of night. Sasuke worried that they were in the wrong place. It'd be months of time wasted, and they'd return to the village. However, if they were truly on Orochimaru's tail, perhaps it was an elaborate trap. If Orochimaru were to somehow capture him…

His intuition was telling him that there was only a remote possibility that Orochimaru was actually here. He still insisted on investigating though. It wouldn't put his mind at ease until he did.

He pulled out his notebook and scribbled in it, tearing out the page and folding it up.

* * *

Shino held out a hand, signaling them to freeze. They had hiked throughout the mountain for weeks already with no sign of anyone. Thier supplies were dwindling. It was possible they'd have to go back down the mountain and replenish their water and food. Shino placed his hand to the ground and waited, seeking out information.

After a few minutes, he finally spoke. "There is a cave in the mountainside. We'd have to scale the rock face to get to it. No clear paths."

They walked up the rocks until they reached the cave. Sensing no one inside, they carefully made their way in to investigate.

* * *

Sakura wiped the drool from her mouth as she groggily opened her eyes.

"Aw, man," she said, stretching her limbs. She had fallen asleep at the hospital's research library. She felt the impressions on her face from sleeping on top of the books. She got up, placing bookmarks in their places before neatening up the stack of references she was looking at. She gathered the pile into her arms and headed back towards her office. She was proud of her work and pleased to have her own office. It was a sanctuary for her and served as her second home. She slowly climbed the stairs, making her way to the upper floors of the hospital.

"There you are!" Tsunade called out to her. "Sakura, get your ass over to the Hokage immediately."

"Eh?" she asked, still sleepy. Shizune took the pile of books from her arms as Tsunade steered her towards the stairs. Sakura wondered what was going on. She could hear the edge in her shishou's voice and found it unsettling.

"Get going now. Hurry."

Sakura was still confused, but she somehow managed to make her way over to the Hokage's office. The familiar halls were empty as usual, save for the light coming from Kakashi's office. She walked briskly down the hall and entered.

"Kakashi-sensei…" she noticed that Naruto and Sai were there. "What's going on?"

Kakashi had already filled in Naruto and Sai on the mission details. He spoke softly, "Sakura, you don't have to go, but we wanted you to know."

"Know what?" She felt a nagging in the back of her mind. It's him. Something happened to him. She felt her chest tighten as she held her breath.

"We'd received an emergency message from Sasuke's team. Shino was able to get a message to us."

She was wide awake now, trying to process what he was telling her. How bad was it? She could see Naruto's somber expression. Is he...?

Kakashi continued, "They've been captured. We're assuming it's Orochimaru. Shikamaru and Shino were with Sasuke and we have to assume they're incapacitated as well. I'm sending out a team for backup and retrieval."

"What did the message say?" Sakura asked, growing pale. Her hands got clammy and her head felt light.

Naruto handed it to her. "Shino's father had received the message via their bugs."

On the scroll, it said: _Multiple enemies. Cliff. E._

"Shino wouldn't have sent a message if they weren't in grave danger. If you're up for it, I wanted to include you in the mission, Sakura."

"Of course!" Sakura responded. She wrung her hands, itching to do something. Anything.

Kakashi nodded and handed the scroll to Sai. "Your mission details. You three are to head to the Earth Country, rendezvous with a team from Iwagakure. Good luck."

Sai said, "Village gate in an hour. Let's set out immediately."

Sakura headed home and quickly threw things together. She hadn't had combat missions in a while, she realized, strapping on kunai and shuriken. She gathered plenty of provisions as well.

She felt her heart racing wildly as she headed to the gates. Sasuke had just sent his last written note a week ago. What could've happened within that timespan?

Naruto was there already, and Sai arrived shortly after. They headed out with speed, resting for only short breaks before moving on. Everyone knew the risks of wasting time-especially if she assumed they had been captured...Orochimaru only wanted Sasuke. She wasn't sure if Shino and Shikamaru would be left alive. She had to believe that they were all alright. They are shinobi and they are strong. She clenched her fists as she continued running with the team.


	6. Poison

AN: You reviewers are the BEST! Thank you so much for your kind words. I struggle with holding the reins in, letting things grow slowly. I would love to just skip right on ahead to the smut, but this is the juicy part of life. Relationships take time to develop properly! I'm glad you don't find it too boring as they grow into the adults and the lovely couple that they are. I'll let you know that I'm already writing the proposal scene and I'm so excited to bring you guys to that point! Followers, please don't be afraid to review! I promise I don't bite. :)

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Poison**

* * *

Sai had filled in Naruto and Sakura on details. They were to meet up with two tracking nin from Iwagakure who'd help them locate where Sasuke's team was. The message indicated they were looking for a hideout on the face of the cliff. E was for east. Maybe the cliff faced east.

She found out that Sasuke's team had been pursuing a lead on Orochimaru's whereabouts. Naruto reassured her that they were probably fine, but she couldn't help that sinking feeling in her stomach. Sasuke was strong and a force to be reckoned with. His abilities should've easily defeated most others. If it really was Orochimaru…or if there was someone even stronger?

Naruto squeezed her shoulder as they approached the borders of the Earth Country. "He'll be okay, Sakura-chan."

Sai led them to the rendezvous point and they met up with the two tracking nins. Sai greeted them, exchanged the formalities, and nodded to Sakura and Naruto. One of the shinobi approached them.

"Hi, my name is Iwabi and this is my partner, Raito. We have conducted some reconnaissance per Tsuchikage's request. We found a few probable locations. Before we start, we wanted to check on your supplies. Going into the mountains without proper provisions will only make things worse."

Sakura and Naruto greeted Iwabi and they went through their packs. After replenishing their supplies, they started their long trek towards the mountains. She could see the massive rock face and the grueling terrain. She was sure they would be able to find Sasuke and the others so easily. She clenched her fist, feeling the pinch of her nails digging into her skin. She had to believe that they'd find them.

* * *

The innards of the cave were wrapped in steel sheets, forming a formidable bunker. Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Shino were bound and chained to separate walls. They had been administered some sort of poison that prevented them from using their chakra. The poison was also taking its toll on them. They were told this particular poison would slowly, so slowly work its way through them until after weeks of agonizing pain, they'd finally die.

"Yo," Shikamaru wheezed. "You still alive?"

Sasuke coughed. "For now."

The crooks had kept Shino knocked out with a sleeping draught as soon as they discovered he had bugs. He was spared from the poison but his chakra was still suppressed. Whatever these guys were using in their potions and poisons were strong and debilitating.

When they had come close to the hideout, Shino had noticed the genjutsu first. Sasuke easily dispelled it, but it was after that, the trouble started. Their opponents were crafty, using poison fog to force the team to defend themselves. They seemed to be long-range fighters-Sasuke couldn't sense them anywhere nearby. Sasuke was well-aware that if he activated Susano, it would be a dead giveaway to who he was. Shikamaru brought up an earth wall to shield them from the poison and push it away, trapping the poison fog.

"Maybe this was all a preset trap," he told Sasuke and Shino. "The actual people might not even be here."

It was to their surprise however, when the earth started rumbling and things started shifting.

"Another-!" Sasuke called out. Things were always more difficult in a team. If it were just himself, he might've risked using Susano. All he had to do was make sure that he disposed of his opponents before they could leak any information.

Shikamaru had accounted for this type of situation and had already communicated to Shino to send out a message. Luckily, Shino's bugs could easily escape unnoticed. This was his last thought before things turned to black.

Shikamaru was miserable in their imprisonment. Bored out of his mind while fighting off a throbbing headache. Not to mention his toes felt like they were on fire. This poison sure packed a punch. He had ran through many scenarios through his mind, but with their chakra suppressed, it was difficult. They were down one man, blindfolded, shackled to the walls, unable to do anything. The place itself seemed well-kept. This operation was probably years in the making.

"I wonder...What the hell are ninja from Konoha doing here?" One of the voices said.

"They're strong. We're lucky we had all the traps set. They seem to be lasting longer than I thought though. With the poison."

The door creaked open and their three captors entered. They weren't related to Orochimaru at all, but they were certainly criminals. They were the ones involved with the disappearances of the shinobi in the Earth Country. Utilizing strong genjutsu and poisons, they managed to capture many that ventured into the mountains. Poisons were their specialty-it was what was being developed in their hideout. They were working on a new biological weapon and planned to sell it to other countries.

Sasuke cursed his weakened state. It was rare that he ever felt crippled. He was used to fighting recklessly with his full power, but now, having been tricked and poisoned, he was incapacitated. It didn't stop him from planning an escape. Shikamaru had insisted that help was on the way-that there was no way Kakashi wouldn't send a team after them. Sasuke knew that Naruto would be clamoring for the opportunity to find them. Sakura...if they told her, she'd be coming too. She wouldn't be able to sit back and wait.

He chuckled darkly at the thought of being rescued by Sakura. Proud as he was of his own abilities, he had to admit that Sakura had truly become a formidable shinobi. She was probably more capable than Naruto with her intellect and her logical frame of mind. She was careful and thought things through. She used her fist to protect, and she used her hands to heal. She was praised as a highly capable kunoichi. As Sasuke struggled to come up with an escape plan, he tried to ignore the searing pain across his limbs.

The poison worked well, too well. Sasuke could barely tap into his chakra reserves, but it was enough. He just needed one moment.

"Take him. Let's go."

Lucky, Sasuke thought as the guys took him, still chained and blindfolded, but they were leading him to another room for interrogation. Hearing the scrape of metal, he knew they had secured him to something again-a table or a chair, maybe. A click of a lamp. He tested his shackles and found that he was chained to the ground, his hands and feet bound. If only he could reach up...

"You," the guy said. "Tell us your name."

From what he could tell, these guys were highly intelligent to be able to concoct this poison. The base itself had probably been actively used for a year or so, matching the timeline of the first disappearance. As they got closer to their end-goal, they snatched more test subjects to use the poison on. They seemed to have no connection at all to Orochimaru.

"Why should I?" Sasuke said.

"Because if you do, maybe we'll give you a little bit of antidote."

They didn't know who he was though. They only knew that they were from Konoha, but they hadn't identified him as an Uchiha. They had no idea about their team's abilities, save for Shino's bugs. He could use their ignorance to his advantage.

"I'd rather die," Sasuke said.

"Ohoho…" another voice said. "That can be arranged, you smartass!"

"Cowards!" Sasuke spat. He put all his effort into luring them in. "You won't even show your faces. Why should I reveal anything to cowards? It's not like you introduced yourselves either."

"Hah! This one's got balls."

Just one moment.

"Cowards?!" One of them shrieked. "We are renowned medic nin that have achieved perfection! What's a lowly shinobi of Konoha know about anything?"

Medic nin that went bad, makes sense. Sasuke ignored the burning sensation throughout his limbs. He focused on tapping into his chakra as he spoke. "Lowly? How do you know that? I could be the Hokage for all you know."

"Don't make me laugh. As if the Hokage himself would get captured."

"You know nothing about me," Sasuke ground out.

One of them cackled. "I know that we've captured you and you're lucky to be alive. If we give you another dose of the poison, you'd be dead in three days."

These guys were egotistical and blind to everything else. They thought they had absolute control.

"I'll tell you my name on one condition."

"I don't think you're in the position to be making demands."

"Just let me see your faces, so I know who defeated me."

The main guy laughed. "Oh? You're admitting defeat?"

Someone did it though, took off the blindfold. Sasuke kept his eyes closed, pinpointing where the three guys were standing.

"You want to know my name?" he said, gathering the energy that he could. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke."

At that moment, he opened his eyes, revealing his Sharingan. He smirked as the three idiots were caught in his genjutsu. He had to work fast.

Scraping his finger against his confinements, he drew blood. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

With all his strength, he summoned his faithful hawk. "Quick," he told it, "find _her_."

His chakra depleted, his captors regained their senses.

"You bastard! Are you really Uchiha Sasuke? What did you do?" One of them put the blindfold back on him.

He merely chuckled. So they did know his name. He coughed, "I don't know."

They beat him until he blacked out. He cringed with every kick and doubled over, hacking and coughing until he felt his body give out.

* * *

They had searched various areas of the mountain with no success for days now. It was then that Sakura saw it, a speck on the horizon, until it came closer and closer.

"Stop!" Sakura screamed.

"What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

"It's Sasuke-kun!" Sakura pointed as a bird flew towards them. "It's his hawk!"

The Iwagakure shinobi watched in amazement as it landed on her arm and she quickly checked it for a message. Nothing.

"Where is he?" she asked the hawk.

It cried out and flew off. Sai nodded and they all followed after it. It stopped at a small crack in rocks. Sakura didn't hesitate as she pounded her fist into it. The rock shattered and revealed a tunnel.

 _Sasuke, I'm coming! Please be okay._

They found Shikamaru and Shino first. Sakura quickly assessed them-Shikamaru was in a pretty bad condition. Shino was just knocked out. She gave him a draught to awaken him.

"He should be conscious in ten minutes or so. As for you…" She examined Shikamaru now.

"Sakura," Shikamaru said, voice raspy. "...Poison." He grasped her arm. "There's three."

"Naruto," Sai said, "Can you sense them?"

"Yes! They're this way!" Naruto said, running down the hall.

Sakura got to work quickly, giving Shikamaru water and vitamin pills as she carefully extracted the poison. Bottling it up, she told the Iwagakure ninja to take care of Shino and Shikamaru and headed to where Naruto and Sai went. She knew that Sasuke was probably just as bad as Shikamaru.

"SHIT," one of the guys called out. "Someone's here! That bastard!"

One of them kicked Sasuke, who was in a crumpled heap on the ground. "He must've done something."

"It doesn't matter, we can fight them. Masks!"

It was pointless though as Sai's Super Beast Imitation Drawing sent massive tigers towards them. Naruto went full steam ahead with his Kage Bushin. Without their tricks and traps, Naruto and Sai easily beat the three captors into a corner. Just as Naruto was about to use his Rasengan on them, Sakura charged into the room.

"AHHH! Naruto! Sai! Stop!" Sakura screamed. "I need them alive! They've used poison on Shikamaru and Sasuke. See if you can get the antidote from them."

She hurried over to Sasuke, who was on the cold floor. Seeing him all bound and bloodied, got her blood raging, but she focused on making sure he was okay. She checked his pulse and could see he was still breathing-weak, but he was alive. The poison took its toll though, she could see his skin was pallid and sweat ran across his brow.

"We'll never give it up," one of the guys said.

Naruto smashed his fist into the guy's face. "How about now?"

The two accomplices seemed sufficiently scared of Naruto and Sai, but they wouldn't give up an antidote.

Sakura made her way over to them. "So, you won't give up the antidote? Shall I inject the poison into yourselves so that you can feel it's effects too?"

"The antidote isn't here."

"Lies," Sakura said, clenching her fist. She punched the wall next to the guy's face and smiled as the guy whimpered. His eyes were wide with shock as the rock around him cracked and crumbled, dropping pieces to the ground.

"Sai, search them," Sakura instructed as she went back to Sasuke and worked on pulling out the poison. She worked carefully, not wishing to rush it. She wanted to make sure she got every bit.

"Naruto, could you search for a lab? I bet they have all the ingredients around here somewhere. I'll start working on an antidote."

"Sakura!" Sai called out. "I found something, but I'm not sure if it's the antidote."

"I found the lab," Naruto said, pointing down the hall.

Sakura examined the tiny vial as Naruto's clones tied up the three shinobi. "Let's go to the lab. It's the best way for me to test if it's the poison or antidote. Tell Iwabi and Raito to bring Shikamaru and Shino over to the lab."

As they propped Sasuke and Shikamaru against the walls, Sakura went through the lab, checking out ingredients. She opened the little vial and tested a few drops-it was the poison. Did they really not keep the antidote around? She couldn't bring herself to inject the poison in those three bad guys-she would have to make an antidote herself.

She asked Shikamaru questions on how he was feeling. She took notes on the symptoms and his body condition. She went over to Sasuke and gave him some water. "Sasuke-kun, wake up," she said gently. She made sure he swallowed the water, but he was still unresponsive.

She slapped the side of his face lightly, hoping he'd open his eyes soon. Even if he was exhausted, he was more useful to her awake so that he could tell her the effects he was feeling.

"Sasuke-kun, it's me. You're safe now." She caressed his cheek with her hand. She leaned in close, embracing him in her arms. "It's me. I'm here. Please, open your eyes."

* * *

She was already thinking in overdrive-trying to work out the poison's properties and deduce which ingredients were needed for the antidote. Shikamaru's condition was stable as she had administered some preliminary countermeasures. Drawing out as much of the poison as possible from his body had slowed the effects. Sasuke was in similar condition with the exception that he was sleeping. It wasn't a coma-that much she was sure of. His and Shikamaru's lives were still in danger. She tasked Naruto and Sai with watching over them. She was doubly glad that Shino hadn't been poisoned. It was a race against time as she worked meticulously.

* * *

Fevered and frenzied, Sasuke reached out and grasped the air. He gasped, clutching his throat. He couldn't breathe. He saw her before him, her back towards him. She was crouched on the ground, her knees digging into the mud, the hunch of her shoulders seemed devastated, like a great sadness overcame her. It was then that he saw his own body, mutilated and bloodied. His face was ashen and his eyes were closed. She cried desperately, mourning. He stood behind her, watching her cry over his dead body. He reached out to touch her, but it seemed that the distance from his hand to her shoulder never came closer. He gasped again, doubling over suddenly. He coughed and opened his mouth, trying to inhale. It was then, that he felt as if he was drowning in the ocean. The icy water freezing his body. He closed his eyes and let the waves wash over him, pulling his body along.

* * *

He heard her voice. Sakura was here right beside him and it was comforting. He was feeling loads better already, but he wasn't sure what had happened to the poison. The hallucinations had felt too real. Perhaps this was an illusion as well. _Sakura_. He tried to speak, but couldn't.

His throat was dry and he let his hand brush her thigh as he tried to get her attention.

"Sasuke-kun! You're awake. Thank goodness. Here." Sakura handed him her water and he gulped it down greedily. Her eyes were tired and her hair was sticking to her face. She squeezed his hand in hers, and it reassured him that everything was fine.

"How long was I out?" His voice was raspy and cracked.

"It's been two days now." She could see it in his eyes that he had many questions. "It's good that we came when we did. I was able to extract most of it, the poison. It took me longer to make an antidote, but after you and Shikamaru took it, it seems to have worked. The color has returned to your face and-"

He hugged her as tightly as he could muster with his current strength. He nuzzled her neck and squeezed her in his arms, glad that she had revived him. She was a damn talented medic, and he was glad that she was able to counteract the deadly poison. Most of all, his heart felt whole, holding her in his arms. He was glad his nightmare was only a nightmare. He was so overwhelmed with emotion-it made him forget everything around him. She was his focus now.

He hadn't realized why Sakura squeaked and blushed so badly until he heard the voice of the one and only Naruto right behind him.

"Teme, you had us worried!"

It was then that Sasuke realized their audience included the rest of the team and two Iwagakure shinobi. They seemed bemused with the display of affection he had shown. He slowly let go of Sakura, easing into a position where he simply leaned against her. He tried to coolly brush off his behavior.

"Like I would die that easily, idiot," he said to Naruto.

"Anyway," Shikamaru said, cutting the tension in the room. "If Sasuke's feeling alright, let's head out in an hour."


	7. Time

AN: Thank you all for your reviews and feedback! I know the last chapter was kind of "meh" for some of you. The way I see it, even if it seems improbable, there's still a possibility of Sasuke being caught off guard. One thing that I dislike in Naruto and other series (*cough*Bleach*cough*) is how god-like the characters' powers get. It makes it seem like they have no weaknesses and honestly, that's no fun when it comes to fighting. And then the author just keeps adding more absurd powers to have the characters one-up each other. Anyway, I'm here to write romance, and I've been planning their future wedding so...let's just enjoy the ride up to that.

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - Time**

* * *

Sasuke frowned as Sakura poked a needle into his arm to draw blood.

"Is this really necessary?" he asked.

"Yes," Sakura said, finishing up the procedure. "I need to make sure that all the effects of the poison are gone."

"I'm feeling perfectly normal."

"Still, I need peace of mind."

He nodded, knowing full well that she was just worried about him. By the time the team had returned to the village, Shikamaru and himself were quite recovered. Sakura's antidote and subsequent boosters helped them recover quickly.

* * *

Back in the village again, Sasuke had something to do before heading out.

Sakura kneeled beside Sasuke at the small shrine. After much thought, Sasuke had set up the shrine in his parents' old bedroom. There were pictures of his father, mother, and Itachi. He had his head bowed and was silent in his thoughts. She did the same, waiting for him to speak.

"Itachi," he said, pouring sake into the small cups placed upon the altar. "I hope you have found peace at last. I'm doing my best to be a better man. I wish you could meet Sakura and see how she has helped me heal."

He gave her a look and Sakura took a few moments to compose her thoughts. "Itachi-san, I've never had the opportunity to know you as the kind brother that Sasuke remembers. Thank you for watching over him and guiding him."

Sasuke handed her a cup of the sake and they each drank, toasting to Itachi. It was the anniversary of his death. Sasuke would never forget that day. He had been sorely misguided in his attempts at defeating his brother. After finding out the truth of the Uchihas, Sasuke held his brother in high regard again.

It was a somber occasion and Sakura was very supportive of him. She had asked if she could pay her respects to Itachi as well and he had obliged, letting her accompany him.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun," she said, stroking his hair. He had his head on her lap as they watched the sun set. "Do you think you'll live in this house forever?"

"No, I don't think so."

She seemed a little surprised that he had answered so surely. She waited for him to speak more on it.

He continued, "I grew up here and it holds many memories for me, good and bad. I'm really thankful you helped fix it up, but it's still hard for me to stay here. I haven't started looking for a new place yet, but I'll definitely move out of here."

"I see…"

"Sakura," he said quietly. It was the right time to tell her. It had been gnawing at him over the past few days-he needed to tell her.

"Hmm?"

"I have something to tell you." He sat up from his position and faced her directly. He observed her eyes, wondering and apprehensive.

"What is it?" she asked, looking concerned.

"I'm going to be gone for a while. When I leave. Longer than usual." He waited to let it sink in.

She gripped his hand tightly now. "Why?"

"I'm going to finish my journey of redemption."

He hadn't focused properly on his journey, having been distracted by Sakura and his budding relationship with her. He felt secure enough that it was time for him to continue and finish up his journey so that he could let go and feel comfortable with permanently being in the village again.

He could see the sadness in her eyes-the way she wanted to beg him to stay, but she couldn't say it. She bit her bottom lip and he couldn't help but put his hand against her cheek, caressing her.

He continued, "It'll be a year, but I promise to be back in the village in exactly one year. Not sooner, not later."

"When?" she asked, she leaned into his hand, closing her eyes.

"November 1st." It was two weeks away. "I won't be taking any missions. I won't be doing anything else."

She nodded, unable to say anything. Her hands were clinging to him. He felt terrible for leaving her, but it was something he had to do. He had fallen so much in love with her already that it pained him.

"Sakura, look at me. I have something else to tell you." he said. She raised her gaze from the floor to meet his eyes. "Sakura, I love you." He watched as her eyes widened and tears formed. "I really do."

She sniffled as he embraced her. Sasuke released the breath he didn't know he was holding. She didn't say anything as they sat there, holding each other. She just squeezed her arms around his middle and dampened her sniffles in his shirt. He smiled and stroked her hair.

* * *

"What is up with you guys?" Naruto asked. He was sitting between Sasuke and Sakura at Ichiraku, waiting for their ramen. It had been quiet, with only him talking and Sasuke and Sakura didn't seem to be paying much attention.

Sakura started, "It's noth-"

"I'm leaving," Sasuke said, cutting in. "I'm going to continue my journey. I'm going to be gone for a year."

Naruto was stunned both at Sasuke openly telling him all this information and at the fact that Sasuke was going to be gone for a whole year. It was different over the past year with Sasuke coming back every once in a while, but a whole year?

"Sasuke…" Naruto ground out, clenching his fist. He was ready to snap the chopsticks in his hand. Sakura touched his arm though, willing him to not get hasty.

"Please, Naruto. It's okay. Let's just enjoy lunch," she said. Plastering on a smile, she took the opportunity to redirect the conversation. "So tell me, how are things with Hinata?"

Naruto frowned, but accepted it for now. He started telling them about how he had accidently told her he was in love with her and how she had blushed terribly and gave him a peck on the cheek as a response. Sakura and Sasuke wholeheartedly congratulated him.

"You're finally not being a dumbass," Sasuke said, slapping Naruto's back.

He complained and Sakura laughed and Naruto felt a lot better.

* * *

"Tell me what's going on," Naruto demanded.

He had told Sakura to head back to work first and suggested sparring with Sasuke. At their old training grounds, they sparred lightly before taking a break. Lightly meaning that they stopped before completely tearing apart the training grounds. It was only with Sasuke that he didn't have to limit himself. They both used their full strength.

"It's none of your business."

Naruto could see Sasuke's face betraying nothing. He was calm while Naruto was getting riled up. He hated that Sasuke was always leaving Sakura behind.

"You're hurting Sakura, so it _is_ my business."

"Listen, dobe, it's my issue. I'm going to continue doing things that I need to do. I'm going to finish my journey of redemption so that I can be back in the village permanently. I already promised Sakura that I will be back in exactly one year, no more or less. If I'm not back by then, you can come and find me and beat me up. Happy?"

Naruto was wary, but he responded. "Yes, I'll take your word on that."

"Will you look after her?" Sasuke's expression softened just the slightest. Naruto could see that Sasuke was genuinely worried.

Naruto clapped his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Of course."

* * *

Sakura felt apprehensive about it, but she was mentally preparing herself for what was going to happen. Sasuke had promised to come back and he would send letters as he had been doing. It was going to okay, she told herself.

She told her parents that she was staying at Sasuke's place for a while. They didn't seem bothered by it and almost encouraged her all too much. She wondered how much her father placed having a grandchild in his list of priorities. Sakura knew she wasn't ready for any of that, and truthfully, she just wanted to be there for him.

Sasuke used to have nightmares quite often, but he told her it's been very occasional now. She liked to think that when she slept next to him, he slept better. He seemed to rest better and get the proper amount of sleep. The next morning, he always seemed happier, more spirited. She also knew that Sasuke was still trying to come to terms with a lot of changes in his life. The village wasn't the same as when he left. The world was rapidly developing through the alliance of the great shinobi nations. He also missed his brother terribly, and sometimes, little things triggered the sadness in his eyes.

She was elated when Sasuke said that he loved her. She hadn't expected it, but she could see he was honest about it. He had let down his walls and exposed himself to her. The most vulnerable side of him was always the side that cared for others. His love for his family had driven him to great lengths to become an avenger. What would his love for her drive him to do? She wondered if she was part of the reason that he was leaving for so long.

* * *

She called out to him as she entered the house.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm here!"

After no response, she wandered around, looking for him. He wasn't in his room or the kitchen. She realized, he was probably in the bathroom. She knocked on the door.

"Sasuke? Are you in there?"

"Sakura!" he called out.

His voice seemed odd, panicked. Something about it was off. She asked, "Are you okay?"

His voice was muffled and she felt like she shouldn't go in, but a part of her was saying she should. Just a peek, to make sure he was okay. She slowly opened the door, keeping one hand over her eyes as the other reached for the inner door separating the bath from the toilet.

"Sasuke?" she called out again.

She slowly slid open the inner door and she shifted her pointer finger up a bit to peek into the bath and her heart stopped.

Sasuke was there, standing in the tub with a familiar erotic book tossed on the floor. The bright red cover glaringly read, _Ero Ero Paradigm_. Water was dripping from his hair and his head was thrown back in exhilaration with one arm pushing off the tiles and the other pumping his penis. His body was on full display and she could only gape at its magnificence-his chiseled abs and toned muscles. He growled out his pleasure as he spilled his seed in a throaty release. The raw sound of his voice, seeing him filled with desire, made her think of when she lay in her bed, exploring herself. She felt her cheeks grow impossibly warm and she gasped when he finally met her gaze. His eyes were fierce and he was panting from his exertion.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to…" She quickly turned away, looking at the floor. "Walk in on you…"

Sakura felt incredibly embarrassed and she was sure that Sasuke was going to reprimand her, but he instead, she heard the splash of water and his wet footsteps approaching her.

He laid one wet hand on her cheek and turned her face toward him, planting his lips firmly on hers for a deep, sensual kiss. He sucked on her lip and let his teeth graze her mouth. She felt her breath being taken away as she leaned into the kiss, letting Sasuke lead. Her hands were on his bare chest, feeling his taut body.

"Sakura," he said, pulling her close to him. His naked body was pressing right into her fully clothed one. He let his lips ghost over her neck.

"Yes?" she squeaked as one of his hands caressed the curve of her butt.

"You can join me next time, you know," he whispered into her ear. He chuckled and grabbed the towel hanging on the hook beside her, leaving her dumbfounded in the doorway.

* * *

Sasuke had teased her afterwards for not knocking before entering.

"I-I really thought there was something wrong!" she countered. "You called out my name."

"Sakura, you're a shinobi. You should be able to use some context clues." He cleared his throat, but he smiled with mirth in his eyes. He was laughing at her mistake.

She pouted as he tossed the book back to her. "You should bring this back with you."

"Were you really reading it?" Sakura asked, both curious and horrified.

"You had left it here last time and I thought I'd just take a quick look. I leafed through it and got...distracted."

Sakura blushed. "I see."

Even from where she had read up to, the two main characters were engaged in constant sexual exploration. She had never expected Sasuke to read it, let alone masturbate in the shower after reading it.

"Did you find anything interesting?" Sakura asked, trying to keep a straight face.

"I did, in fact," Sasuke responded. His face colored as he avoided her gaze. At least there were still things that phased him, the one and only Uchiha Sasuke. She was surprised that he came onto her the way he did earlier, but of course, he was poking fun at her. Although she was sure that he enjoyed the kiss as much as she did. She leaned over towards him.

"So...what did you find interesting?" she asked, smiling seductively. She slowly flipped through the pages. Picking a random page, she held it up in front of him. "Is it this?"

He took the book from her hands, closed it, and placed it on the table, holding her hands in his. "Let's go out and eat tonight. Somewhere you wanted to go to."

She giggled, knowing that he was trying to placate her. She decided to drop it. "Okay, there's the yakiniku place that Chouji likes. I haven't been there in a while."

He grabbed her jacket and held it for her. "Should we ask Naruto to join us?"

"Nah," she said. "Let's keep it just the two of us."

He smiled, relieved, and Sakura easily forgave him for his teasing her. They went out into the crisp autumn air, hand in hand.

* * *

Ino was supremely jealous of Sakura. She always noticed when Sakura and Sasuke were walking around town, holding hands, leaning against one another. Sometimes, it made her feel miserable that she was stuck with Shikamaru and Chouji for the most part of her days. Seeing that she was a little down, Chouji had suggested they go and eat away their worries. For once, Ino thought it would help her mood.

She raised an eyebrow upon spotting Sakura entering the barbecue restaurant with Sasuke. They were seated on the opposite side of the restaurant.

"Hey, Shikamaru," Ino said, leaning in close. "What do you think of Sasuke and Sakura?"

"What about them?" Shikamaru replied, focusing on the food. As Chouji had always said, barbecue is a battle and Shikamaru didn't intend to lose out on having meat because he wasn't paying attention.

"Didn't you spend time with Sasuke on that mission? Does he talk about Sakura at all?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "He calls her his girlfriend. That's about it."

Chouji added in with his mouth full. "You know, he's pretty good to her."

Ino turned on Chouji, wondering what insight he had into it. "Why do you say that?"

"I've seen them shopping for groceries together. He cooks for her." Chouji quickly devoured a slice of beef. "If that's not love, then I don't know what is."

Ino remembered how Sakura had told her about that. It hadn't registered as out of the ordinary to her since she figured with the Sharingan, Sasuke could learn and master anything he wanted to. But now that she thought about it, Sasuke was _willing_ to cook _for_ Sakura. It did make a difference.

"Whatever," she said. She turned her attention back to eating with her teammates. "I'll have my own boyfriend someday!" she declared.

"That's the spirit!" Chouji said.

Shikamaru smirked, glad that Ino was alright.

* * *

Sakura was down in the research library again, looking for some answers. She had just placed the book back onto the shelf when she found herself face to face with Sasuke. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she had turned around. Damn him and his silent steps.

"Gosh! How long have you been there?"

"I was looking all over for you. I didn't know they had a library here in the hospital."

"Yes, they do. You still haven't answered my question." He was good at that, answering a question by redirecting the topic. Sakura had gotten used to his misdirects and always tried to steer him back to her real question.

He pursed his lips for a moment before answering. "For less than a minute, I swear. You weren't in your office and someone told me to check down here. I saw you as I was coming down the stairs and I just wanted to come over and get you."

Sometimes, she worried that Naruto's prankster nature was rubbing off on Sasuke. Sakura checked her watch. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I totally blanked out on time."

"It's okay," Sasuke replied. "Are you ready to go home?"

Home. He had said it so easily-like she fit perfectly into his concept of home. The Uchiha compound had become a second home to her, simply because he was there. She nodded, slipping her hand into his as they headed home.

* * *

That evening was special to her. It was the last night she'd spend with him for a year. It was like it still hadn't sunk into her brain yet-how long the year without him would feel.

They had made dinner together, sneaking tastes of the food when the other wasn't looking. They sat next to each other at the dinner table, instead of across from one another, so that they could lean on each other.

In the privacy of the bedroom, they let their fingers tangle in each other's hair, grasping, keeping their faces nose to nose. Sasuke buried his flushed face in the valley of her breasts, exploring it tenderly with his tongue, slowly reaching each peak. Sakura moaned his name in reverence as he brought her body to life. She moved his hands to where she wanted them, probing her, caressing her. His touch would start gentle and then climb to insistent and frenzied. It made her cry out in pleasure, gripping him, panting his name. She crawled over him, angling herself for leverage. She looked up at him as she sucked on him, watching the passion ignite in his eyes. He spoke volumes with just one look.

Even after they had come down from their high, he looked into her eyes intently. As they lay next to each other, the covers pulled over them, his look was soft and tender. It wasn't fire now-it was the glow of a firefly. He talked to her through those eyes and she couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she whispered, touching her forehead to his. "I love you too."


	8. Strength

AN: Hello, new friends! It seems I've gathered quite a few new followers. :) My loyal reviewers, lots of hugs for continuing to support my writing muse! Thank you to everyone saying how beautiful this story is. You've got me tearing up here as a writer!

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Strength**

* * *

"You still haven't done it?!" Ino said. "Why not?"

Sometimes, Sakura wished that Ino would keep her voice down. She swore that people could probably hear hear all the way down the hall.

"It's not something we're rushing," Sakura replied. Sometimes she wondered if Ino would lay off of it if she had a boyfriend herself.

"But he's gone now. FOR A YEAR. You won't see him, touch him for a whole year!"

Sakura had her reservations on it. She felt like Sasuke was already quite intimate with her, even if they hadn't gone all the way. She already felt quite satisfied with their relationship. It was something that Ino wouldn't understand. It was something that Sakura didn't have anyone else to talk to about it.

She didn't know how she would survive the year without him, being unable to hold him, hug him, kiss him. It was something that she would sorely miss.

She responded, "I've accepted that. I have no doubt that I'll question it later on, but he only just left now. I've just got to do what I've always done."

Ino shook her head. "And what if he falls for someone else? On his so-called journey? What if you meet someone else? And you're stuck on him?"

It was Sakura's turn to shake her head, smiling. "He loves me and I love him. I don't think that that will ever change."

Ino rolled her eyes and packed up her empty lunchbox. "Whatever, Sakura. Just don't come crying to me later."

Sakura knew she meant well and that Ino was just looking out for her. Ino had seen how Sakura cried and fell into depression after Sasuke had defected from the village. Ino had watched Sakura seal up her emotions and throw herself into training. Ino just wanted to make sure that her best friend was happy.

Sakura gathered her clipboard, getting ready to head out when she heard a light tap on the window. She smiled, opening it to let in Sasuke's hawk.

* * *

Tsunade felt disgruntled, not only from her hangover, but from thinking about her precious student and her student's not-so-precious boyfriend. Tsunade wasn't a fan of the Uchiha boy. Sakura had been in love with the brat since forever and Naruto even considered him a brother. She just didn't understand what they saw in him. She admitted she had barely met the kid, but she didn't like him much at all. Her opinion was changing though, seeing the way he interacted with Sakura nowadays. Even Sakura was beaming and cheerful. Sometimes, it gave her a headache.

She sighed, popping open her drawer to pull out her bottle and took a swig of it. Shizune came in at that moment, shrieking loudly, taking the bottle away. Tsunade frowned.

"Tsunade-sama! You have got to stop sneaking drinks!" Shizune huffed. "You've got a hangover already."

Tsunade laughed. "Oh, come on. The best cure is to simply drink more!"

Shizune was not amused.

"Shizune, do you think Sakura's okay?"

"I think she's done quite well considering it. You've taught her everything you know."

"I meant...nevermind." Shizune was clearly oblivious to Sakura's love life. "I'm going to hand over operations to her. Over the course of the year, I'm going to train her on taking over."

"Are you sure she can handle that? She's so young!"

Tsunade gave Shizune a pointed look. "She's more than capable. She's proved her worth in the hospital and on the battlefield. I can't hang on forever. I'm the only Sannin left moping about in Konoha. I was thinking of retiring again."

Tsunade looked at the picture frames on her desk. She was young a long time ago, and no matter how much she maintained her youthful appearances, she knew she needed to let go.

"It's not my time anymore. The kids are not kids any longer. Hell, Kakashi's not even going to be Hokage much longer, that slacker. He wants to find the right time to pass it on to Naruto."

Tsunade felt that Sakura was ready. They were starting construction on a new wing of the hospital for the children's mental health center Sakura had proposed. She was skilled and dedicated, burying herself at the library during her spare time. Tsunade didn't want to admit it, but Sakura would exceed even her own skills soon, if she hadn't already.

* * *

Naruto bopped the kids on the head as he told them to make the Seal of Reconciliation properly. He had taken to teaching on occasion at the academy. The kids loved him and were always excited, perhaps for the wrong reasons. Sakura had a sneaking suspicion that he was still showing off his Sexy no Jutsu and corrupting the poor kids.

"Oi! It's superhuman strength Haruno Sakura-sensei!" Naruto called out, waving.

She glowered at him for the title as the kids screamed out, "Superhuman strength Haruno Sakura-sensei!"

Sakura didn't teach very often-she was usually up to her eyeballs in research and work at the hospital. She allowed herself half a day at the academy if they wished for it. Coaching the kids was refreshing sometimes. They were young and innocent and had much to learn. She was always happy to teach the ones that asked her questions. Their inquisitive nature was much like her own when she was at the academy. Naruto had the charisma and laid-back attitude that the kids liked, while Sakura was more technical and tried to guide them with demonstrations. She didn't feel cut out to teach.

"Will you show us how to climb the tree?" one of the children asked.

Sakura first explained the concept behind it, how chakra control was the key. Too much and you'd push yourself away from the tree, too little wouldn't give enough of a grip. It was something she remembered fondly, Team 7 training together. She hoped the kids in front of her would bond as their team had.

* * *

It became a habit for Sakura to compose notes to send back to Sasuke. She'd collect what she wrote and keep it stashed in her pocket for whenever his hawk came to visit her. Sasuke's notes were longer now. Sometimes, he detailed his thoughts and provided some insight into what he was doing. She smiled fondly when she read today's note from him.

 _I dreamt of you. It felt like you were right by my side. Is it possible to meet in our dreams? I often imagine what you're doing without me. It helps me feel like there is hope for the future. Sometimes, I can hear you calling for me in the far distance. I often whisper your name, wondering if it ever reaches you._

The notes from him really helped her get through the days. As much as Ino and Naruto tried to keep her occupied and her mind off of Sasuke, she relished the nights when she huddled under a blanket and read Sasuke's notes. Sometimes, she slept alone in the Uchiha compound-it was a place that Sakura had grown fond of. The little things reminded her that he wasn't gone for good, that he'd be back soon enough.

* * *

Sasuke was exhausted physically and mentally. On days where his mood was down, he would train. It was like he was a child again, trying to catch up to Itachi. He'd find a nice trail and set up targets for himself, testing his speed and accuracy. It wasn't difficult, but allowing his reflexes to take over pushed other thoughts out of his mind. It kept him going, day by day, as he traveled.

As he leaned against a tree to eat, his hawk returned. He found it amusing that Sakura had started to send things back to him. She would stuff as many folded pieces of paper as she could into the small pouch and he was glad to read them. He stuffed the remainder of his riceball into his mouth unceremoniously and leafed through the notes.

 _It's cold without you. I admit, I have been sleeping in your bed sometimes, just to better picture that you're here beside me._

He held the paper up to his lips and kissed it. Sometimes, if he really concentrated, he could pick up her scent, as if she had ran her fingers across it repeatedly. He had traveled across many lands, but as long as he had some small memento...it was enough.

* * *

Sakura was tasked with training some new recruits. Tsunade claimed it was an essential part of her training for taking over the hospital. She stood in front of the nine recruits and took a good look at them. They were like she had been once, wanting to help, wanting to learn. She smiled and handed out textbooks and notebooks.

"It's essential to keep a notebook. Maintaining accurate notes could be the difference between saving a life or death," she said grimly.

She launched into the types of medic-nin and their purposes, as well as the four rules that Tsunade had created. She told her own story, of wanting to become stronger for her team.

"It didn't mean that my ninjutsu was bad. It didn't mean I couldn't help my team in other ways. I wanted to learn to heal because my teammates were always fighting without thinking of consequences. They risked their lives. I wanted to protect their lives by learning to become a medic."

She smiled, remembering how the idiot boys in her life had always gotten bloodied up. Those reckless beasts. Her head had stopped for a moment when she had found them at the Valley of the End, laying on the ground. She was so relieved that they were both still alive, just injured badly.

"If you have some reason to motivate you, hang on to it. The things you'll see and the things you'll encounter as a medic are not for the faint of heart."

She remembered that time when Haku had pierced Sasuke like a pincushion.

"Your resolve needs to be strong. Your hands need to be steady."

She looked at everyone. They were watching her intently, rapt for her words.

"You need to believe in yourself-that you are important. A medic-nin is just as important as the heroes. Even heroes need to heal."

* * *

Distracted, Sakura walked right into Sai. She had been heading home, but she got sidetracked.

"I'm sorry, Sai. I wasn't paying attention."

Sai nodded. "...Is something on your mind?"

Sakura looked at Sai and thought, how much does he know about things? Sai had replaced Sasuke on their team. He was strange and secretive due to his ANBU and Root past, but he had since become more and more friendly. He had slowly come out of his shell and had become a passable acquaintance...he wasn't quite friend material to her yet.

Sakura walked over to a bench and patted the seat next to her. Sai sat down and waited for her to speak. She liked that about him. He was a good listener, not a talker, and sometimes, it was nice to rant to someone that wouldn't take sides.

"I've just been out of sorts since Sasuke left. It's hard to let him go. In the sense that, I know he's supposed to return...but what if he doesn't?" She whispered the last part, afraid to hear the words aloud.

Sai leaned back and flipped through his sketchbook. He finally settled on a page and showed it to her.

"Sakura," he said. "I saw you guys from a distance and I thought, I want to capture that...feeling."

It was a sketch of Sasuke feeding her ice cream. He had been trying to cheer her up over the embarrassing lunch with her parents. Sai had captured Sasuke's embarrassed expression, but also the caring in his action. Sakura herself looked so pleased at the interaction. Sai really was a master artist.

"He will be back," Sai said.

She smiled, thanking Sai for his reassuring words.

* * *

The streamers that decorated Ichiraku were brightly colored. It was their number one customer's birthday and the old man was more than happy to throw the party at Ichiraku. Naruto had been a kid when he first started eating there, and now, he was a mature young man. It brought tears to Teuchi's eyes. He had watched from behind the counter as Naruto had grown from the lonely boy to the hero the village loved.

His friend had gathered first, setting things up until Naruto arrived. He had a gaggle of kids tagging along from the academy. It was sweet to see the kids being kids, not worrying about a war or the fate of the world.

Sakura claimed a seat next to Shikamaru. She was surprised to find Temari and Gaara there as well.

"Did Naruto invite you guys?" she asked.

Gaara nodded, but Temari answered. "Gaara didn't have anything scheduled for today anyway. We thought it'd be nice to get together. It's been a while."

Shikamaru mumbled something about getting cake for them and walked off as Sakura indulged in the steaming bowl of ramen. She had skipped lunch and was starving. She chuckled seeing Naruto showing off to the kids how quickly he could eat a whole bowl of noodles.

As the evening went on, everyone was boisterous. Kakashi and Guy watched from a corner. Guy had tears in his eyes was was exclaiming something about "the joy of youth" as Kakashi congratulated Naruto on his nineteenth birthday.

"You made it," Kakashi said.

That was all Naruto needed to hear.

"Alright! Picture time!" someone called out.

Everyone squeezed together in front of the counter. They were one big family, brought together by the one and only, Uzumaki Naruto. He was in the middle laughing with his arm around the blushing Hinata. Sakura stood on Naruto's right and he turned to her before the camera clicked.

"Come on, Sakura-chan! You've got to smile wide!"

He made an absurd face and Sakura couldn't help but bust out laughing.

* * *

Sakura wiped the tears from her eyes as she retreated to her office. She had assisted in the maternity ward that morning. One of the women was giving birth, but the baby wasn't coming out. She was stuck in labor for hours as Sakura assisted, until she finally gave birth to a baby girl. Through the hours of sweat and tears, the mother was exhausted, but the moment Sakura handed the baby into her arms, it didn't matter. The father embraced the both of them and Sakura watched the scene for just a moment before leaving the room.

It was something that she was touched by-the months of pregnancy and the pain mothers endure to bring a child into the world. In the month that she had worked in the maternity ward, with every birth, she felt tears gather in her eyes. Seeing the happy families...it was something special. Sakura had a loving family, but Sasuke...sometimes, she'd find him sitting alone, deep in thought, reminiscing of the past. She could see the sadness in his eyes when he looked in the direction of his parent's old room. She knew that he would always hold his childhood trauma in his heart. It was something he would never forget.

Sakura wanted so much to help him forget, but she knew it wasn't a task that she could undertake. She also knew that it was something that made Sasuke the way he was today-without that experience, the Sasuke-kun that she knew would be different. She felt a little lost without him. It wasn't that she had been left behind, but she felt like he was taking a great journey to better himself, to dispel the darkness in heart, yet she was still the same.

* * *

Ino flicked Sakura's forehead. Sakura cried out in pain, rubbing the red spot as they walked.

"You're an idiot," Ino said. "If you can't see that, you're dumber than Naruto."

Sakura frowned as Ino nonchalantly continued down the hall. They were checking up on the patients, doing rounds.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

Ino huffed, turned around, and grabbed Sakura's arms, shaking her. "Sakura, you have confidence issues. You've always doubted yourself when you're next to those two. Now you're telling me that you don't think you've grown while Sasuke has? Look at you! You came up with the idea for the children's mental health clinic. Tsunada-sama is grooming you to take over the hospital. You'll be managing a hospital! You've become a responsible adult and you're contributing to society. If that's not growth, then I don't know what is.

"You've helped just as much, if not more, than Naruto and Sasuke in the war. You prioritized saving lives and you did it. You were adult enough to face your feelings for the guy that had left you heartbroken for years. You healed him, you took care of him, not expecting him to reciprocate your feelings, but he did. He left you yet AGAIN, and you're still waiting for him. You've been faithful to him. You're strong physically and mentally. No normal girl would've put up with his antics. You're incredibly patient and caring. That is your strength!"

It was in this moment that Sakura realized how great Ino was as her best friend. They had their differences and squabbles, but ultimately, no one understood her the way Ino did. And sometimes, you need someone to remind you that you're awesome. Sakura laughed at the serious expression on Ino's face. Ino smiled, knowing she had gotten through to Sakura.

* * *

It was Sakura's birthday. Sasuke had sent his hawk over to her with a present. He was almost embarrassed to purchase it, but he felt less embarrassed than nervous, wondering if she would like it. It was a compact mirror with a pressed flowers inlay on the glazed front. He noticed how Sakura was always using windows to check on her reflection, so when he saw the handmade trinkets in town, he had picked one out for her with the flowers of her name, Sakura. He had wrapped it in a handkerchief and slipped it into the pouch on his hawk. He wondered if it had reached her safely yet, hoping it would've arrived before or on her birthday.

* * *

Sakura's mother had surprised her with a beautiful kimono. It was white with delicate embroidery and the hems were accented with white and gold. It looked expensive and far too nice for her to wear for even a small occasion.

"Mom, what is this for?" she asked, quite curious.

"Oh, hon. You're nineteen now and you're pretty much all grown up. Now, I have this feeling, and it's just a feeling, but I thought you'd need this soon enough. You see, it's a wedding kimono that has been passed down through our family."

Sakura face turned three different shades of red, "Wedding kimono?!"

Mebuki laughed at her daughter's reaction. "I know you probably think it's early, but from what I can see, that Uchiha boy is smitten with my lovely daughter. I'm sure he'll be thinking about it soon enough."

"But why now? We're nowhere near that yet…" Sakura groaned. She expected something about marriage and grandchildren from her father, but her mother?

"It's tradition! I received mine at nineteen as well, even though I didn't marry your father until four years later. So just accept it, hang it up, and dream a little," she chuckled.

Sakura ended up receiving some books from her father. She had requested some things that she couldn't find at the hospital, and Kizashi had went and procured two of the books for her.

"Thanks, dad," she said, hugging him. Sometimes, she felt too old for hugs, but in her father's arms, it was like she was a kid again. Her father had doted on her plenty as the only child and precious daughter.

Not wanting a big affair, she asked her friends to gather for dinner at Yakiniku Q, the barbecue restaurant. Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Hinata, and Sai were present. They ate and talked and played some drinking games. At the end of the night, Ino insisted on walking home with her. Sakura had wanted to spend the night at the Uchiha compound, but instead went back to her house. As she brushed her teeth, she heard tapping on the window. She quickly rinsed out her mouth and went to let Sasuke's hawk in.

It stood patiently for her as she opened the pouch and felt a hard object inside. She took it out, unwrapping the handkerchief to reveal a little compact. Popping it open, she found a little slip of paper with the words "Happy Birthday" written on it. She could see her own reflection in the small mirror, smiling with teary eyes.

"Thank you, Sasuke," she whispered.

* * *

Sasuke let the water glide across his skin, letting the rushing foam pour over him. It was a place all too familiar to him that he chose as his final site. He surveyed the Valley of the End before him before sitting down to meditate.

The statues that used to frame the waterfall were laid to waste by his last fight there with Naruto. The masses of rock were scattered. The water ran through, same as ever. Plants were growing and nature seemed to have reclaimed dominance in the space.

It was the place where he finally admitted defeat to Naruto. It was where he was finally able to release his hate and embrace the future instead of living for the past. It was where he cried for the first time in a long time, being able to come to terms with the love that his teammates had for him. They saved him. Luckily, it was before it was too late. He was alive today and experiencing the world with new eyes. He fell in love, fully and deeply. He was hopeful.

It was these thoughts that swirled about before he focused on clearing his mind. He focused on the sounds of nature and the quiet of the world around him. He let his breathing guide him.

* * *

Sakura panted, feeling her breath quicken and her body warm. The sensation spread from her core to her toes. She pictured his fingers in lieu of her own. She gripped the sheets with her toes and let the feeling overwhelm her. She recalled his smirk, proud of himself for pleasuring her. She called out his name, imagining that he was right there with her.

Slowly, her eyes focused on the shadows cast on the wall. Her breathing returned to normal. She bit her lip and closed her eyes. She wished he were there, sleeping next to her.

She didn't cross off the days from her calendar, but she was well aware of how long Sasuke had been gone. Her heart was leaping with joy at the prospect of his return. True to his word, he hadn't returned yet. Tomorrow, it would be the first day of November.

* * *

Back in Suna, Temari and her brothers were having refreshments before Gaara's meeting with the Tsuchikage. She was quite unhappy with what she had last saw in Konoha.

"Who knows what's going on with them?" Kankuro said, stealing the bowl of cherries from Temari.

Temari turned to Gaara, hoping for an answer. Gaara shrugged.

"But I heard Sasuke's been gone for almost a year now." Temari was a little bothered by the fact that Sasuke had left Sakura...again. Sakura had smiled at Naruto's party, but she could see that Sakura was quite sad. The poor girl. "They were dating up until he left. Do you think they broke up?"

"Why didn't you just ask her when we were at Naruto's party?" Gaara said.

"Because that would be rude!" Temari sighed. Her brothers were useless. She didn't have anyone to gossip with and she wasn't close enough to Sakura to ask her. She'd have to ask Shikamaru next time they met.

It was then that Onoki, the Sandaime Tsuchikage, entered the meeting room with his guards, Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi.

"Who's being rude?" he asked.

"Maa, no one you need to worry about," Temari said, quickly tidying things up while nudging Kankuro. Kankuro grabbed some cups and offered them refreshments as they settled in for the meeting.

* * *

Sasuke didn't expect fanfare or Sakura waiting there at the gate. He figured she was probably at the hospital. The guards at the gate gave him a curt nod and he acknowledged them back.

He wondered if he should see Naruto first or Kakashi. Of course, he wanted to go find Sakura first, but he had a duty to report in. He decided to head to the Hokage's residence first. The Hokage was still more important than the dobe.

Kakashi greeted him as usual. "Yo, Sasuke. Welcome back."

"Rokudaime," he said. "I'll have a report to you later."

Kakashi barely looked up from the papers on his desk. "No need for a report. This was your personal journey."

"Hn."

"Sakura's teaching at the hospital."

He had a feeling that Kakashi was smirking under that mask.

"Thanks," he said.

* * *

Sakura was proud of her students and their progress. They were working on the Mystical Palm Technique. When she had first tried it under Tsunade's tutelage, she had managed to do very well, impressing Tsunade enough to keep her as a student. Most of the students assembled before her were already pre-screened-they had decent chakra control to be able to do it. Some had more trouble than others at maintaining it, but it was something that they could work on. With hard work, they'd be able to start practicing it.

Sakura noticed someone hanging at door, their shadow clearly visible. She felt a tingling sensation and her eyes widened at the thought.

"Everyone, take a break. I'll be back in ten minutes."

She left her things on the table and sprinted to the door. As soon as the door was opened, she leapt into his arms.

"Sasuke-kun!" she whispered, relishing in the strong arms that held her. She breathed his scent in deeply. He nuzzled her, squeezing her like he never wanted to let go.

Sakura felt sheepish as she wiggled away from him, to get a good look from head to toe.

"You...let's talk over here," she said, leading him to an empty room.

He obliged, and when they were finally alone, he spoke. "I'm home, Sakura."

She felt her heart grow three times bigger, swelling with happiness. She smiled and he blushed and she pounced on him. He supported her by her butt and she pressed his head into her chest and just hugged him, so elated that she almost forgot about her students.

* * *

Sasuke's breath caught when he had peeked into the room. Sakura was teaching the students a healing technique. The green glow of her chakra on her hands was like the green of her eyes. Her hair was longer, the tips just brushing her shoulders. Her hands were gentle as she directed her students. It was a side of her that he hadn't seen-the teacher. She noticed his presence quickly though, her eyes widening. She came barreling at him. He was surprised by her force as he held her, steadying himself.

It was wonderful to see her again and to be with her again. He felt relieved upon seeing her, holding her. He knew that Sakura had been taking on more responsibilities. He was worried that she would be tired and stressed by it. He could see that she was okay though.

He reminded her that her students were waiting and told her he'd see her later. Sakura pouted, wanting to just stay there with him, but she nodded.

"I need to get settled in at home anyway," Sasuke said. "By the time you're done, meet me at home and we'll go out for dinner."

"Just one thing first," Sakura said.

He was about to ask her what it was when she kissed him passionately. The feel of her lips against his was jolting. He could feel her longing as she let her teeth graze him. He felt her pleading as she pressed her lips firmly against his. They kissed until they needed air. He had missed her and her kisses.

She looked back at him at the doorway and winked before heading back to her students. He touched the side of his face, smiling, wondering, how did a girl like her ever fall for a guy like him?


	9. Advice

AN: Don't worry, the smut is coming. Soon. I've been slow on writing the rest though because my internet died and we're waiting for it to get fixed. I usually write in a Google Doc so I can access it anywhere, but I guess I'm back to Word...

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - Advice**

* * *

"What's this?" Sasuke asked, seeing the new item peeking out from Sakura's closet.

Sakura stammered and quickly squeezed in front of him, blocking him. "I-It's nothing."

Her face said otherwise as she was flushed pink and her eyes were wide. He was faster than her though, and he swerved side to side as she tried to block him, but he finally caught her off guard and quickly pushed the clothes to the other side revealing...a white kimono. It was formal and delicately embroidered with elegant details.

Sasuke wasn't sure at first, but through growing up with the traditions of the Uchiha clan, he quickly realized it was a wedding kimono. He was speechless, not sure at all what to say.

"It's not what you think! Or maybe, it is…" She tried to gauge his reaction. "It was my mom. She insisted on giving it to me for my birthday," Sakura rambled. "It's apparently tradition for our family when we turn nineteen. I couldn't refuse it."

Sasuke could picture her in it. He saw how beautiful she would look, beaming smile and blushing cheeks.

He cleared his throat, realizing he was getting lost in a daydream. "Should we talk about…?"

She realized his intention and she hastily slid the hangers back into place and closed her closet door. She laughed nervously. "Of course not. I don't want to pressure you or anything. It's still way early for us. Right?"

"Right…" Sasuke responded, wondering if it was. He didn't have anyone to ask for advice on relationships, let alone marriage. He imagined that Sakura had been dreaming of it forever, but maybe she changed her mind now. Maybe it wasn't a priority, as he had thought most girls deemed it. He let the topic drop and figured, he would have to seek out some other people for advice.

* * *

Sasuke ended up at the Hokage's. He was in the hallway, debating on going in and asking. Kakashi hadn't been married, had no romantic inclinations of any sort. Maybe he wasn't the best choice for someone to talk to.

Shikamaru saw Sasuke standing there, pacing in the hall with his brow scrunched in thought.

"What's up, Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked.

Sasuke was almost startled by Shikamaru. Almost. "Nothing much, really."

"Doesn't seem like it," Shikamaru responded with a slightly raised brow. "You sure?"

Perhaps he did need to talk to people his own age about the matter.

Shikamaru was perceptive and suggested, "Let's go for a walk. By the monument."

Sasuke nodded and they left the premises. They started up the steps to the summit that overlooked the village. It was quiet and a safe place to talk.

"So...what's been bothering you?" Shikamaru wasn't one to probe, but he was curious what had gotten Sasuke so troubled. Yes, he looked troubled.

Sasuke let his eyes roam over the village first before speaking. "What do you think of marriage?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "It's troublesome, but a part of life, I suppose. I always figured I'd marry an average wife and have an average child."

Maybe Shikamaru wasn't the best guy to talk to about this stuff, Sasuke thought. He thought about what he wanted to really ask.

" _When_ do you think is the time to get married?"

Another shrug. "Maybe when you find the one you're going to marry."

* * *

Sasuke waited until classes were over before seeking out Naruto at the academy. The moment he saw Naruto though, he immediately decided against asking him for advice. That idiot was competing with Konohamaru doing their harem jutsus. Sasuke quickly turned around and speed-walked away.

* * *

He wondered what Itachi would've said to him. He thought about his own parents and their marriage. It had been an arranged marriage and his mother was twenty when she married his father. They were both pleased with the arrangement though and had grown close to one another. Then, Itachi was born and subsequently, Sasuke was born. As for Itachi, he had never showed any romantic interests. Itachi was a prodigy and had quickly become a top shinobi. He joined ANBU at the age of thirteen-he had barely gone through puberty. Sasuke sighed. Even Itachi hadn't been able to experience a romantic love before his death.

Sasuke felt a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach. He could ask Sakura's parents, but that would just become a very awkward conversation. He wasn't sure it would be a good idea to bring up marriage at all unless if he was actually asking for Sakura's hand.

Thinking about marriage, Sasuke knew he wanted to get married eventually. In fact, he had always assumed in his mind that Sakura would be the one he married. She had been in love with him since their academy days, and while he never wanted to admit it, he was a little proud of the fact that she had been so lovesick for him back then. He could see that she cared for him in a way that no one else in the village had showed him. He just didn't want it to be a distraction to him at the time when he was focused on gaining power to surpass his brother.

Was it crazy to just get married? At nineteen? They had already been quite intimate with each other, and it was peaceful in the village. Getting married seemed like a plausible idea...Was Sakura ready though? They haven't had sex yet, and although Sasuke had never said it aloud, but he was waiting until they were married to take that next step. As much as he felt his brain turning to mush and wanting to go all the way, he had held back. He held back because he wasn't going to risk any chance of having a child-not unless they were married and ready for children.

Sasuke shook his head. He wasn't ready for children yet, and he was quite sure Sakura wasn't ready for that either. So that was that. He had figured it out on his own that it wasn't time yet. He felt much better as he went to bed.

* * *

Naruto frowned as Shikamaru had mentioned that Sasuke seemed troubled. It was rare for Sasuke to talk to Shikamaru.

"Teme! He didn't even come talk to me."

"Ehh...it seemed like he was just lost in thought. I found him pacing about outside the Hokage's office."

"What did he want?" Naruto asked through a mouthful of ramen.

Sometimes, Shikamaru thought that Naruto should take better care of his body and stop eating so much ramen. It's why Shikamaru had assigned Naruto a ton of missions-to keep him active. Shikamaru had been working with Naruto on strengthening his position as candidate for the next Hokage. He had assigned Naruto fewer missions recently and told him to go teach at the academy instead. It seemed that teaching suited Naruto, but it meant that Naruto had access to ramen all the time. If Shikamaru needed to find him, no doubt, Naruto would be at Ichiraku.

"He asked about…" Shikamaru wasn't obligated to say it outright. He knew that Sasuke had asked him in confidence. "Relationship stuff."

"Is he having problems with Sakura? I wonder…" Naruto said. "I mean, Sakura can be hard to please sometimes. And she's aggressive and mean sometimes."

Shikamaru laughed at the way Naruto cowered, picturing Sakura yelling at him for some offense.

"Only because you do something stupid," Shikamaru replied.

"Hey, that last time! I swear she said-"

"Just stop Naruto," Shikamaru laughed, remembering the incident. Sakura had asked Naruto to help with cleaning some things up at the hospital. It turned out that he was going through the wrong wing and had nearly thrown out all the important documents. Shikamaru heard Sakura yelling at him even from outside of the building.

* * *

Sakura noticed Sasuke looked better. Something had been troubling him the past few days-she was quite sure it was the whole wedding kimono thing. She ended up carefully taking it off the hanger and folding it up. She kept it in a large box in her closet so it was much less noticeable. She realized it was probably a weird topic for Sasuke. They were both young and his parents weren't around to arrange a marriage as it was customary in the Uchiha clan.

She wondered if his parents would have accepted her into their family. She was glad that there wasn't any pressure from the clan on them, but she did feel sad that Sasuke had no one to go to for advice. She knew he had looked up to his brother, but now, he seemed at a loss a lot of the time when there was something he was struggling with. Sakura didn't push him to talk to her-she knew he prefered being alone and thinking it through on his own. Sometimes, she would drop a hint to Naruto and get them talking. She noticed that Sasuke has been seeking others out on his own now though.

"Did something good happen?" Sasuke asked her, noticing the silly smile she had plastered on her face.

"I'm just glad. You seem cheerful today, Sasuke-kun," she responded.

He smiled back at her, squeezing her waist as they cuddled in bed.

* * *

While Sasuke's worries were temporarily resolved, there was still the feeling in the back of his mind that something else was amiss. He had discovered a lot of things as he had traveled. There were some things that he would report to the Hokage and there were some things that he wasn't sure if it was an issue, but his intuition told him there was something strange at work.

In his time back in the village though, he focused on Sakura. He was thankful that she understood him and his need to collect this thoughts in private. He would see her pursing her lips and sneaking glances at him as he scribbled in his notebook. She never asked him to see it-she knew he was taking notes on his observations and hoping to make some sense of things. He truly valued the way Sakura treated him. They had a mature relationship based on respecting boundaries and being comfortable with each other. Sasuke took it seriously, to try different things and show his caring to her. He found himself feel recharged every time he saw Sakura, spent time with her. It wasn't an exhausting relationship. They naturally complemented each other. He would note when she was tired and take over the task of cooking for the evening. If she noticed he needed time alone, she would head over the library on her own. It was a relationship that he treasured, and no one else in the world offered what Sakura's smile did for him. Every hug, kiss, caress was fulfilling.

* * *

Sasuke planned a trip to the bookstore with Sakura. He had saw how her eyes lit up when he suggested it. It was a date that most people wouldn't consider a date, but he could see the excitement in Sakura's eyes.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, donning his cloak, waiting by the door.

Sakura looped her arm in his and nodded enthusiastically. She had said that there were a few things she had been waiting forever to purchase, but she never worked it out in her schedule to take a trip to the bookstore. With him back in Konoha, he noticed she was more willing to take a break from work. Ino had made it her duty to inform Sasuke all about how much Sakura had worked while he was gone.

Sasuke had wanted to find a few things for himself as Sakura immediately let his arm go when they entered. She was like a kid in a candy store, taking in the shelves of books and the titles on the spines as if they were treasures. It was cute and he smiled, heading over to a section of novels, looking for the next installment in the series he had been following.

He also snuck a few self-help books from the shelf about relationships. He brought his books over to the register and paid for them first. He then sat down in a comfy armchair to wait for Sakura, starting on the novel.

He was so engrossed that he almost didn't notice Sakura. She peered at him from behind, her pink hair falling forward into his line of vision.

"Is it good?" Sakura asked, referring to the novel series he had been following.

He replied, "I have a morbid curiosity to find out what happens to the protagonist."

Sakura brushed her hair back, holding out her hand, palm up. He bookmarked his place and put the book in the bag with his others. Sasuke took Sakura's hand and they walked out of the store.

* * *

To any outsider, Sasuke seemed a little stiff and awkward around Sakura, but to Naruto, he could see the difference in the way his teammates interacted with each other. It was strange for him, at first, seeing the two of them holding hands. Now, it seemed natural, like they had always been like that. It gave him a weird feeling when he had watched Sasuke kiss Sakura goodbye. On the lips. Like, full on. He never expected to see it in public. It was clear to Naruto that Sakura and Sasuke's relationship had progressed a lot further than he had thought. Naruto had figured that with Sasuke constantly leaving the village, they didn't have much time for progress. He had never been so wrong.

It was unnerving for him. Naruto was having ramen with Sakura and Sasuke per usual, but they were lost in their own world. It was some private joke or something, and as he looked on past Sasuke to see Sakura's eyes so focused and the way Sasuke leaned in towards her, he felt like he was intruding. Ugh, too much of their mushy romantic feelings were getting to him.

"I just remembered, guys," Naruto said. "I have something I need to take care of. I'll head out first."

"Alright," Sakura said.

"See you later," Sasuke said, waving.

Naruto left Ichiraku feeling happy for them. He felt glad that Sasuke seemed to have let go of his old feelings and that he was making the most of dating Sakura. It did make Naruto a little jealous though. He went to the academy and found Iruka still in the classroom.

"Iruka-sensei," Naruto greeted him.

"Hello, Naruto. How have you been?"

They hadn't talked as often as Naruto would've liked. He saw Iruka quite often at the academy, but they were always busy one way or another. It seemed to be how life was now.

"I'm good," Naruto replied. "I just came from Ichiraku."

"Then why do you seem so sad?"

Naruto sighed. "Our team isn't the same anymore. I guess I miss the days when we were kids concerned with nothing but training."

Iruka knew the feeling all too well. He had watched many of the kids he had taught grow up and become adults. It was nostalgic to think of how Naruto used to act. He was much more mature now-still the same straightforward and bubbly attitude, but more realistic and in tune to situations. Like everyone else, Naruto had grown up.

"It's something you'll have to come to terms with, Naruto. Just like how you've come to terms with your being a jinchuriki, you'll need to come to terms with the fact that relationships between people will change."

"I am happy for them," Naruto said, sighing. "Just a little sad too."

Iruka patted Naruto's shoulder. "You know, I heard you've got a girlfriend now. Maybe you just need to grow your relationship with her-the same way that Sakura and Sasuke's relationship has grown. Find that something special."

Naruto thought about how patient Hinata was with him. She had admitted that she was always too shy to confess to him, but she had always admired him. Naruto felt bad that he was so focused on his best friends that he was neglecting his girlfriend.

"You're right, Iruka-sensei! I'll do better!" Naruto declared.

* * *

Kakashi had sent Team 7 out on a mission together. It was the first one they had done together in a while, and he was hoping they'd deliver good results as usual. He noticed how much Sasuke had changed since returning, and he also noticed Naruto's jealousy. He figured they needed to spend some time together and hash things out. And if Naruto and Sasuke got out of line, Sakura would knock some sense into their heads. It was why they worked so well together-they all kept each other in check.

* * *

Sakura purposely hung back out of range, knowing that Naruto had been acting weird lately. She noticed how he had been avoiding her and Sasuke, and she knew that he needed to talk with Sasuke. She let them take the lead as she stayed in the back. She watched as Naruto was silent for the most part, but she could see he wanted to burst out and say something. She noticed how Sasuke was smirking, knowing all too well that Naruto was bottling it up.

Sasuke decided to bring it up first, trying to figure out what was bugging Naruto. They were taking a short break to eat before continuing on their mission. He laughed internally at the way Naruto was glaring at the small fire.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

Naruto frowned. "It's nothing."

Sasuke took a seat next to him as Sakura made up an excuse to go scout.

"Idiot, I can see you're clearly bothered by something. Spit it out."

Naruto ruffled his own hair in frustration. "I'm happy for you guys, I really am. It's just...weird for me. Seeing you guys acting so much...in love."

Sasuke laughed at Naruto's revelation. "I'm sorry, man. There's no good way to put this, I guess. I really am in love with her. And it's surprising to me as well, how comfortable I am with admitting it."

"And I'm happy for you two!" Naruto said. "I'm just a little overwhelmed. I mean, I never expected to see you two holding hands and kissing in public. Kind of gross. Like seeing my brother and sister kissing."

Naruto made a face and Sasuke punched his arm.

"You have a girlfriend, Naruto. You can be as happy as we are with Hinata." Sasuke drawled, "Well, I don't know if you can actually. Sakura and I are _so_ happy and our relationship is progressing _so_ much…"

He knew it'd get Naruto riled up.

"Hey! H-Hinata and I are making progress too!" Naruto stammered.

"If you're sitting here jealous of me, then I don't think so…"

"You'll see!" Naruto declared, just as Sakura returned. Since he was the lead on the mission, he growled, "Let's move out."

Sakura threw a quizzical look at Sasuke and Sasuke just nodded. He knew competition was the best way to cheer Naruto up.

* * *

Sakura was glad that they had survived the small mission without Sasuke and Naruto duking it out. Sasuke had somehow managed to diffuse the tension with Naruto. They were back to normal, teasing each other and talking freely. It was when the two of them went off to spar that Sakura felt someone was watching her. She slowly turned for a peek and caught sight of Hinata.

"Hinata, how are you?"

Hinata blushed madly at having been singled out. "I-I'm fine! How are you, Sakura-chan?"

"I'm good." Sakura sensed that Hinata wanted to talk to her. "Do you want to walk with me? I'm headed back across town to the hospital."

"Yes, I'm headed that way too."

Sakura kept a leisurely pace, smiling at Hinata. "So...how are things with you and Naruto?"

"It's good. We've been going on dates…"

"But he hasn't made a move," Sakura stated, knowing exactly how Naruto was. He boasted about things all the time, but when it came to actually kissing Hinata, he was shy.

Hinata nodded.

"Just kiss him, Hinata. He'll love it, trust me. Once you reach out to him first, he'll get it."

Hinata's eyes were wide, wondering if it could really be that easy. She knew that Sakura seemed to be doing well with Sasuke, which is why she had sought Sakura out for advice.

Sakura continued, "And plus, Sasuke's already talked with Naruto too. I'm sure he'll come around soon enough and start moving your relationship further."

"Thanks, Sakura!" Hinata replied, sufficiently cheered up by the prospect.

* * *

Sakura giggled as Sasuke traced his finger around her belly button. She watched him let his gaze run from her toes up to her navel. He finally settled his palm on her stomach, sliding it around her hip to pull her close to him.

"What's on your mind?" she asked, knowing that in the silence, he was contemplating something.

"We're...progressing okay?" Sasuke questioned. "The pace of our...activities."

Oh. _Oh_. Sakura giggled. "You have nothing to be worried about, Sasuke-kun. I am quite... _satisfied_ ," she purred.

Even though they hadn't had sex yet, they engaged in plenty of foreplay and oral. When Sakura's panties were sticky with her wetness, Sasuke made good on fulfilling her sexually. If his tongue and fingers already made her feel so good, then she couldn't even imagine what having sex with him would feel like. She was used to how her cheeks flushed in front of him now, and how his lustful gaze struck her to her core.

She sat up suddenly. "Wait, is this about you? Are you not satisfied?"

They had rarely talked about it. It was an unspoken agreement that they didn't have sex yet.

"No, not at all. I am quite satisfied as well."

She looked at his face, trying to read his expression. His eyes were soft and pensive.

Sasuke leaned on the headboard next to her, speaking softly. "I do want more, but I don't want to do it yet. It's going to change our relationship into a different level. I'm...I know there are things to prevent it, but I don't want to risk getting you pregnant."

Sakura was surprised by his admittance. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. It was a degree of caring that truly touched her heart. He wasn't afraid to have sex-he was afraid of getting her pregnant. She was sure that if it was any other guy controlled by his hormones, they would only care about the sex. But with Sasuke, he thought of everything else connected to it.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun," she whispered.

He continued, "I wanted to wait until we're ready for _that_." He cleared his throat. "Having kids."

Sakura sat there wide-eyed at this revelation. He had been thinking about kids. Having kids. It rang in her mind. Sasuke had been thinking about their future _together_ and the potential of it. She wondered if their kids would turn out like him, dark-haired and cool, or if they'd be like her, a strong attitude tinged with pink hair.

"Sasuke," she said, touching his cheek, smiling. "How many kids do you think you'd want?"

He blushed, a little embarrassed, like he had been dreaming about it all along. "Two. Although I'm sure one will be plenty already. I've always thought it'd be nice to have a girl and a boy."

Like he had his brother, he wanted his kids to have each other to depend on. Sakura beamed, burying her face into the crook of his neck. The thought of two kids was perfect to her.

"You're so cute sometimes, Sasuke," she giggled.

"Shut up," he responded, kissing the top of her head.

* * *

Was she going crazy now? Sakura noticed how much it affected her, seeing little kids playing or babies in strollers. It was like what Sasuke said had triggered something in her that wanted to start a family with him. Soon. Now, even.

Tsunade seemed to pick up on Sakura's distracted expression.

"Sakura," Tsunade said in her firm voice. She snapped her fingers in front of Sakura's face. "Pay attention."

"Hmm?"

"You're drifting. Did you get enough sleep?" Tsunade asked, pulling out her bottle of sake. She might as well get comfortable, she thought.

Sakura blinked and pushed the baby's cries out of her mind. Working in the hospital had intensified her feelings.

"Sorry, shishou. I-I don't know what's gotten into me."

Tsunade gulped down a cup of sake. "Talk."

Sakura hesitated, not sure if she should disclose what Sasuke had said to her. She settled with a part of the truth. "I'm going baby-crazy," she admitted.

"Ohoho!" Tsunade exclaimed, leaning in like it was juicy gossip. "Looks like your hormones are catching up to you."

"I don't know. They're cute all of a sudden. It's like my mothering instincts have surfaced."

Tsunade knew the feeling well. She had never had kids because she had lost the love of her life. It was something she had hoped for, but learned to give up on. Motherhood was something she hoped that her student would be able to experience.

"Let me tell you, Sakura," Tsunade said. "Embrace it. The feeling may wear off after a while. You'll find cries annoying and kids screaming will be irritating. For now, just be happy with what makes you happy."

* * *

Sasuke worried about the way Sakura was acting. While endearing, he knew someone was bound to get the wrong idea. They were shopping for some socks as Sasuke's had managed to get some holes. He needed some new ones to replace the worn ones. She dragged him along the aisles to look at something.

"Isn't it the cutest?" Sakura asked, holding up a tiny pair of knitted socks.

It had an argyle pattern knitted with pink and yellow. He had to admit that his heart skipped a beat for a moment. He _did_ think it was cute. She placed it in his hands and they felt so soft. Soft as clouds. He felt himself smiling.

"OH MY GOD," Ino gasped. "You have got to be kidding me!"

Sakura's eyes went wide and Sasuke felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Crap. Both Sakura and himself quickly jumped on it. Sakura rushed over and covered Ino's mouth and Sasuke grabbed Ino by the arms and they dragged her out of the store.

Once outside and a good distance away, Sakura released her. Sasuke turned around and kept his distance to give them a little privacy.

"Sakura, you better have a good explanation!" Ino growled.

"It's nothing, Ino! I swear. We haven't even had sex yet!"

Ino still seemed suspect, opening her mouth to protest.

Sakura continued before Ino could get a word in. "It's just that we've been talking about the future. And now I've been a little crazy for baby things. I've been finding socks and toys cute. And little baby clothes. And bottles. Like, how the heck are bottles so cute?"

Ino shot a glance towards Sasuke and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura called out. "Go home first."

He nodded and disappeared in a flash.

Ino tapped her foot on the ground, ready to burst out.

Sakura apologized. "I'm sorry, Ino. I know I've been spending a lot of time with Sasuke, so we haven't talked as much. But really, it just started happening. Sasuke literally mentioned one thing about kids and now I'm all stuck on babies, kids, and cute things for kids. Let's talk later."

"Girls night," Ino huffed. "You have to do girl's night with me once a week."

Sakura held out her pinky to Ino, seeing that Ino was placated. They hooked their fingers and the promise was set.

"If you ever do have a kid," Ino said. "You have got to let my kid marry him!"

Sakura laughed. "No way. And who says we'll have a boy?"

Ino started rambling. "But my kid and your kid, if they get together, our grandkids will be so beautiful! Don't you…."

* * *

"So," Sasuke said.

Sakura locked eyes with him. "So."

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Let's do this."

There was knocking at the door again. Of course, Naruto was always impatient. They opened it and greeted him.

"Happy New Year!" Sakura and Sasuke said.

"Yo, Happy New Year!" Naruto exclaimed. Hinata was beside him and she uttered a greeting as well. "Are we the first?"

"Yes, you are." Sakura backed away from the door to let them in.

They had decided to host a New Year's party at the Uchiha compound. Sakura had suggested that they do something for their friends over the holidays and Sasuke had brought up hosting a party. She was a little surprised that he was open to letting people wander around the house, but Sasuke assured her that it would be alright. They had cooked up a feast and decorated the living room. It was cozy once more people arrived.

Sasuke went over the rules with each visitor. "Stay away from the bedrooms. Bathroom is on the right of the hall. Please leave your coats in the small room to your left. Put food on the table and drinks are in the back."

It was soon quite crowded. Sasuke even opened up the doors to the courtyard. Although it was chilly out and there was a light dusting of snow on the ground, some people huddled on the porch with their coats on, while others were gathered in the living room around the food.

Sasuke was starting to get tipsy with the amount of shots he was taking. They were playing a game and he was losing quite a bit. Everyone had cards tucked into their headbands with different things written on it. They had rotated through different categories, but now they were on "Things" and it literally meant anything went. Out of all of the things that people had wrote on the cards, he felt like it the one he had was definitely something stupid that Naruto probably came up with. Any time he guessed wrong, he had to drink.

"Is it an object?" he asked.

Naruto snickered. "Of course!"

"A book?" Sasuke asked.

"Nope!" Naruto exclaimed, pouring more sake into Sasuke's cup.

It didn't help that he and Naruto were the only ones left. Naruto didn't seem to care how tipsy he already was-if anything, seeing Sasuke get frustrated only made Naruto laugh more. Everyone was gathered around them, waiting to see who would get it correct first. Sasuke drank, feeling the sting in his throat.

He was resisting cheating, but it was so tempting. He could easily catch a reflection somewhere and catch a glimpse of what the card on his head had. Mostly everyone was already a little drunk and merry. He caught a glimpse of Sakura pointing towards the courtyard. Something outside?

"Is it in this room?"

"...No."

"Is it outside?"

"Yes."

"Snow."

"No."

He drank.

"The moon!"

"Aww, yes. It is." Naruto pouted.

He smirked triumphantly, pouring sake for Naruto to drink. In some ways, he'd like to think that his relationship with Naruto had grown, but really, they were still rivals at heart.

* * *

It was strange to see it happening right in front of him. He might be the youngest to become Hokage, but they all knew how well Naruto would do. Kakashi had never wanted to take the mantle and he had convinced the elders that it was better to pass it on to Naruto sooner. He would still have plenty of time to help Naruto with the transition, but at least he could pass on the paper-signing over to his student.

Kakashi was quite proud of his team for progressing the way they did. He hadn't expected them to become the next sannin, the most powerful shinobi of their village, and the leaders of their generation when he had started training them. As they grew, he could see that they were something special, but all teachers thought that way of their students.

The passage of Hokage was not a very public affair. Most of the requirements were handled internally and the most significant piece was to pass on the hat and robes. Naruto was ecstatic, of course, trying hard to contain his excitement. Kakashi noticed that Shikamaru had done a good job on instructing Naruto about the propriety that he would have to uphold as the leader of their village. Naruto had matured plenty though, knowing the huge responsibility he was about to take on.

Only a select few were present to witness the occasion. Sasuke and Sakura stood off to the side with Tsunade, Iruka, and Yamato, while Shikamaru was right next to Naruto. The elders were present as well for the formalities, bearing the usual wrinkled expressions, and the head of ANBU was next to them.

"Nanadaime," Kakashi greeted him, shaking his hand.

Naruto smiled wide. "Kakashi-sensei, thanks for everything."


	10. Mission

AN: Thank you for all your love! If I were to tag this this chapter, it'd be: fluff, romance, lingerie, stockings, smut. And yes, in that order. ;) We're reaching the home stretch here! If you're looking for more SasuSaku fics, I'm participating in SasuSaku Month on Tumblr so go check it out! (Tumblr username: intentlydivided)

* * *

 **Chapter 10 - Mission**

* * *

It had become a strange thing that only he could do. He had voiced his concerns to Naruto already, gaining the Hokage's approval.

"Sasuke, I can't let you keep going like this. There are so many uncertainties."

Sasuke sighed. "I can't help it. It takes time to investigate. My Rinnegan takes so long to be ready."

Naruto looked out the window, overlooking the classic buildings of the old village. There was new construction happening behind the monument. The sound of it irritated him, but he was used to zoning it out. Many people from smaller villages and towns chose to relocate to Konoha, claiming it was safer. They found their resolve when Naruto had been made Hokage, claiming that the hero would definitely protect them. The Hidden Villages were not quite as hidden anymore. The barriers between countries were breaking down. It was a new era.

Sasuke had told Naruto that during his journey, something had disturbed him. He could see traces of things in places all over the world. He knew that no one else could investigate the dimensions-it had to be him.

Naruto wasn't fond of the idea. He kept glancing at Shikamaru, hoping his advisor would have the right answer.

"Nanadaime," Shikamaru said, noting the sideways glances Naruto kept shooting him. "For now, it'd be prudent to send Sasuke alone to investigate. If it become a bigger issue, we should bring it up at the next Shinobi Union meeting or Kage Summit."

"That sounds good," Naruto said, the fabric of the hat swaying from the wind. The red words on his back were something that made Sasuke chuckle when he saw it. The idiot had achieved his dream.

"Sasuke," Naruto said. "You'll be required to report back as soon as you return from a dimension. We then decide if you should go out again."

Shikamaru wrote up the mission scroll. The mission was S-ranked, mostly for secrecy. They were unsure if Sasuke would run into any enemies.

"Go tell Sakura, then head out."

* * *

Sasuke couldn't pinpoint when it had happened-that he felt like Sakura belonged by his side. It was natural now for him to build his schedule around her. When he was out on a mission, she sent him off with a homemade bento. He would do the same for her when she had missions. He always made sure to say goodbye with touching his fingers to her forehead.

"I'll see you soon," he said, always unaware of how long the next mission would take. He had been undertaking the task of traveling dimensions to check up on things. Every time he thought it was nothing, he'd find some small semblance that something was recent or something strange that his intuition deemed needed investigating.

Her hair had been trimmed before he had left, so that it fell just past her ears. When he had returned from the first mission, it had touched her shoulders again. He hadn't realized it had been that long. It was then that he realized the dimensions had a different sense of time as well. Sakura assured him that it was okay for him to do the missions. He always made sure to spend some time in the village before heading out again.

Sakura would smile so tenderly for him when sending him off. He loved that it was only for him. He wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug.

"Be safe," Sakura whispered to him.

Birthdays and holidays were nothing to them. They spent every day as if it were a special occasion. He had missed her twentieth birthday. He felt terrible about it, but she assured him that all she needed was for him to return to home safe.

* * *

Ino was on her case again. Sakura had been able to divert the conversations for a while when Ino and Sai had a little something going on. Sai was a little slow on the uptake, but Ino had managed to secure a kiss from him. Sakura had let Ino ramble about it for a good while, but now the conversation turned towards her.

"I can't believe you let him leave for these missions." Ino flipped her hair back with a swish. It had gotten quite long now.

"It's important," Sakura said, unable to give any further details. The less people knew the truth, the better. Only the Hokage, Shikamaru, and herself knew the details of the missions Sasuke had been undertaking.

Ino clicked her pen aggressively, signing off on yet another immigration form. The hospital was bursting at the seams with people wanting to move into the new buildings. The first apartment building had been completed a month ago and it was already all filled up with tenants.

Ino gave Sakura a hard glare, but Sakura wouldn't give in.

"It's important for the village. And it's something only Sasuke can do. I trust him, and as much as I wish he could be back with me more often, I'm busy too."

Tsunade had turned the hospital over to Sakura and the children's mental health program was in full swing. They had also built a new clinic to deal with the influx of people entering the village. The population of Konohagakure was growing quite quickly.

Sakura continued, "We're fine anyway. Things have been great between us."

Ino rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe you're not doing it."

Ino herself was working really hard on seducing Sai. At least she was putting in the effort-Sakura wasn't trying at all. Sakura never wanted to boast, but sometimes she wanted to just spill to Ino what Sasuke's fingers were like. " _Magical_ ," she muttered under her breath.

"What did you say?" Ino asked.

Sakura smiled. "Nothing!"

* * *

Gathering with Hinata and Naruto for dinner became a normal occurrence. Sakura knew Naruto felt bad for letting Sasuke leave all the time, and he thought Sakura must've been lonely. Sakura was glad to spend time with the couple, but she enjoyed her evenings alone as well.

"Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked in her light voice. Naruto was in the kitchen doing dishes while Hinata and Sakura relaxed. Naruto's apartment was slowly getting tidier as Hinata spent more time there. It was great that they could actually sit down in a chair without clothes and empty ramen cups piled on it.

"What's up?"

"Will you go shopping with me tomorrow?"

"Ah, sure. I have time. Anything in particular?" she asked.

Hinata blushed. "I-I was thinking of looking for some... _lingerie_." She whispered the last part, glancing back towards the kitchen to make sure Naruto hadn't heard.

Sakura giggled. It was strange to think that Naruto would finally get the sexy girl of his dreams. The idiot had always joked around, but Hinata was the one helping Naruto move along the bases. It seemed that Naruto just needed a small push as permission and their relationship had blossomed.

* * *

Sakura flipped through the rack, looking for things that would suit Hinata.

"What do you think?" she asked, holding it up for Hinata to look at. The camisole was made of black lace with a deep cut in the front. The matching panties were lacy as well with pink ribbon accenting it.

While Hinata's cheeks were hot and pink, she was also determined. Sakura thought it was cute how much Hinata really wanted to please Naruto.

Hinata nodded with enthusiasm. "Yes, I do like this one. I'll go try it on."

"Wait. Let's pick out a few more so you can try them all at once."

Sakura didn't care to know Naruto's sexual preferences, but she helped Hinata choose a bunch of lingerie that were enticing yet not all-revealing. More like teasing. As she waited for Hinata, she browsed for some things for herself.

Sakura was quite practical in her clothing choices. Working in the hospital meant needing the comfort and flexibility so that she never worried about her clothes. She had little lingerie that wasn't plain, and Sasuke had never complained. She figured she might as well surprise him though, the next time he returned.

She settled on three sets of silky outfits. The one she thought he might like the most was a bustier crisscrossed with red ribbon. It had matching flame red stockings that reached up to her thighs. She was probably just as pleased as Hinata was with her purchases as they left the store.

* * *

In his time apart from Sakura, he began to think of their relationship again. It wasn't fair for him to keep doing the secret missions, promising her to return. He knew she understood how important the work he was doing was, but he knew it pained her as well as him with each separation. She was important to him too, and he wanted to show her how important she was.

He was glad to be making his way home once again. He let the familiar drag of space-time travelling pull him to the other dimension. Feet firmly on the dirt again, he could see Konoha's new buildings beckoning. He had thought about purchasing an apartment, but he didn't like the modern buildings. He was a sucker for the traditional houses.

He closed his eyes, letting the familiar shift of the Sharingan and Rinnegan go back to normal. He continued on foot back to Konoha.

* * *

Naruto's hand was cramping and he complained as much to Shikamaru, casually letting his pen slide off the desk to roll across the floor.

"Can't help it," Shikamaru said, handing him the next stack of papers and new pen. While Shikamaru had read through all the papers and designated the ones to be signed, Naruto had to do the signing.

"Why can't we just use a stamp?" Naruto frowned.

"Too easy to steal and copy."

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Naruto called out.

Naruto was surprised to see Sasuke. "Sasuke! You're back. I could use a break, so let's get some ramen or something. Although ramen is always the best, of course."

Shikamaru frowned as Naruto got up and started to talk about going to Ichiraku. "Hokage-sama…"

Sasuke interrupted, holding out some papers to stop Naruto's talking. "Naruto, here's my report on my findings. Let's talk later. I can see you've still got work to do."

Naruto sighed as Shikamaru took the report from Sasuke and added it to the growing pile of reports on his left. He knew that Sasuke wanted to hurry to Sakura. "Alright, fine. See you later."

* * *

Sakura checked up on the Mental Health Clinic, talking to the children and checking in with their counselors. During the staff meeting, she found out that they were seeing good results. The counselors thanked her for the intensive training they had prior to launching the program. Sakura talked about how she would be selecting two people to go over to Suna and teach their staff on how to implement the program.

She gathered up her papers and dismissed everyone, heading back to her office. She quickly opened the door upon realizing Sasuke was in there. Dropping everything on her desk, she went over to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun!" she called out, jumping into his arms. He looked weary, but his eyes lit up upon seeing her.

He held her firmly, nuzzling her neck. He spoke softly, "I'm home."

Sakura leaned back to get a good look at him. He looked the same as when he left, just haggard and worn. She held his hand tightly as they went home for the night.

* * *

"I've got a surprise for you," Sasuke teased, holding out a handkerchief.

Sakura giggled, letting herself be blindfolded as Sasuke led her around Konoha. When they finally stopped, she couldn't quite tell where they were. It was warm and sunny out, a perfect day for a walk.

The fabric slowly lifted from her eyes. As she adjusted to the light, she saw a dirt field stretching out in front of her.

"Sasuke-kun?" she asked, wondering.

He smiled, holding up a drawing. It was a blueprint. He was smiling like he couldn't contain his excitement. Sakura found it endearing as he explained.

"I asked Naruto about the plans for the new section of the village. I told him it would be more practical to have some family houses in some areas instead of the huge apartment buildings."

Sasuke proudly held up the blueprint, aligning the horizons. She could see it, the house, and what it would look like.

He continued, "I had an architect draft this up. Four bedrooms, two baths, a wide kitchen, a cozy living room…I put a down payment already. It should be done in a few months."

Sakura bit her lip as she felt the sting of tears on the edge of her eyes. Sasuke had bought a house. For them. To live together. She could picture the flowers and a small garden. The sunlight streaming through the windows. The hardwood under their feet. A child running through the hall. It would be their future together.

"Do you like it?" Sasuke asked tentatively, peeking out from behind the blueprint.

"I love it! I really do. I love _you_." Sakura said. "You're the best, Sasuke-kun."

He placed his arm around her shoulder, bringing her close. "No, you're the best."

She giggled, kissing him under the bright sun. He kissed her softly, tenderly, pouring his love for her into it.

* * *

Sakura said that she had a surprise for him as well. She made him wait in the living room for a good ten minutes before she deemed it ready. He sat on the couch, hand along the back of it, tapping on the worn fabric. He heard the music first, a raunchy instrumental warbling on the stereo. Then he saw her sauntering out to him in lingerie that hugged her curves and accented her fiery personality. He saw the red, crawling up from her toes to her thighs, topped off with black lace. He gulped nervously as she cracked a riding crop on the coffee table. Where did she even get that from?

"Sasuke-kun," she purred. The music seemed to rise all of a sudden, the same as his cock rising to the occasion. She touched the tip of the crop under his chin. She whispered, "Do you like it?"

He could see her eyes half-lidded, brushed with the slightest eye shadow. It brought out the green in her eyes, intense and unwavering. Every time he left, it didn't feel long until he came home and he how much his body missed hers. How much he missed her taste. How much he wanted to ravage her on the couch. Or bed. Or right on the floor.

Sakura smiled as she leaned over, the rise of her breath visible in the swell of her breasts. She lifted Sasuke's shirt and loosened his pants. He helped her along, kicking his pants off and running his hand along her back down to settle on her waist. She tapped his hand with the crop.

"No hands," she said. Upon seeing his pout, she added, "Yet."

She blushed now, so prettily that it made his breath catch. She knelt in front of him, her hand wrapped around his erection, slowly shifting up and down. Their gazes locked. His was pleading and yearning, while hers was coy and ardent.

"Did you miss me?" she asked, discarding the riding crop on the floor. She let one hand roamed upwards to his chest as the other continued below. Her eyes never left his, his resolve melting as her grip tightened.

He groaned. "Of course!"

"Good," she replied, giggling. She then leaned forward and took his length into her warm mouth. She let her tongue roamed across his hot skin, licking from base to tip as she bobbed her head. She sucked on him with fervor as Sasuke felt the tension building within him.

"Oh, Sakura!" he cried out, tangling his finger in her hair. He could feel her smiling around his cock, the light graze of her teeth was tantalizing. He felt her tongue doing circles and he was about to lose it. "Sakura, I'm-"

She withdrew just as he felt himself convulse. His semen spilled along her face, the thick fluid sticking to her cheek and hair. She grabbed a tissue from the coffee table and cleaned up before leaning in to kiss him. Sasuke wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, kissing her deeply. He rolled her underneath him on the couch, settling one knee between her legs. He ran his hand up from the stockings to her panties. They were red silk and he could see the darkened spot from where her wetness was.

It was her turn to look at him with yearning. She licked her lips. "Please, Sasuke-kun," she whimpered. "I'm so wet for you."

He breathed into the shell of her ear. "And what do you want me to do?"

He let his fingers ghost over her center, fluttering. Her hips shifted, craving.

"Ahhh, please," she moaned. "Touch me! Make me come."

He smirked, rubbing the outside of her panties, letting his fingers warm her up. He watched her legs stretch as she arched to meet him. Sasuke untied the ribbons of the panties and it revealed her pussy to him, slick with her wetness.

"Sakura," he groaned as he slipped two fingers into her. She twitched, her insides squeezing him and he felt himself getting hard again.

"Oh, yes, Sasuke-kun!" she cried out, pulling him in. Her hands clawed at his back, pulling him towards her. He pumped his fingers slowly at first, then increased his rhythm. She moaned his name and her cries grew more insistent. He flexed his fingers until she panted in short breaths.

He kissed her neck and let his breath tickle her ear. "God, Sakura. I love the way you sound."

"Ahhhh!" Sakura cried out, "I'm coming, Sasuke! Fuck yes!"

Her voice was a delicious melody to his ears as she shrieked her pleasure. He withdrew his fingers from her and embraced her. She smiled into his chest and kissed his collarbone.

Sakura whispered, "Love you, Sasuke-kun."

He cradled her head and kissed the crown of it. "Love you too."

* * *

Incredibly smug-that's how he looked. Naruto wanted to punch something.

"Maa, Sasuke. Are you just going to stand there?"

Naruto was still working when Sasuke had arrived. They had made arrangements to get lunch, but Naruto was swamped. Meanwhile, Sasuke seemed to enjoy watching Naruto groan and moan about the papers and other trivial matters. Shikamaru hovered right by Naruto's shoulder, keeping him on track.

"How much more?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru didn't even look at a clock. "Ten minutes. Just a few more things. This one is…"

Once it was all done, Naruto cheered and leapt from his desk. "Alright, let's go!"

Sasuke merely chuckled as Naruto hopped down the hall. They went for some sushi at a counter bar. It was a small stand that they had found in the shopping district. Sasuke enjoyed the fresh flavor while Naruto liked how he could request for anything and the chef would make it for him.

"I'm feeling eel today," Naruto said. "And some yellowtail!"

"Hai! Coming right up," the chef responded.

Sasuke requested mackerel and tuna, having a green tea while waiting.

"So…" Naruto started casually, "How did Sakura like the house idea?"

Naruto was curious because while he didn't think about things like that, Sasuke was already planning a future with Sakura. He wondered how long it'd be until they got married. It seemed like the only thing left for them in terms of moving forward with their relationship. Naruto was pleased with his progress with Hinata, but it seemed that Sasuke was bounds ahead in his progress with Sakura.

"She loved it," Sasuke responded.

Naruto could see the smirk on Sasuke's face. He laughed out loud. "You guys...I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Naruto." Sasuke seemed genuinely pleased at Naruto's blessing.

"Since you're not on a mission, do you want some easy ones? I've got a million things piled up on my desk and I could use your help."

"I'm not falling for that, dobe."

"Aww, come on! Help me out!"

"Is that how the Hokage should act?"

Naruto made a silly face and took out his frustration on a poor piece of sushi, munching on it fiercely. "I wanted to be a hero to the village, and I have become one. I wanted to be Hokage because I looked up to them as the leader of the village, and now I am the Hokage. I just didn't think there'd be so many little things that are just time-suckers. I wish it was more fun."

"That's why you've got to suck it up and just do it."

"I know...I am glad that there's relatively peaceful times now. It's less to worry about politically, but that means I've got to worry about things like the new construction instead of other nations. Shikamaru's managed to put together a good team for the Union. I'm glad things are good on that front, at least."

Sasuke felt proud of Naruto and his maturity. Naruto had a knack for getting people to work together and now, the village was in a time of prosperity. It was good overall and Sasuke was glad.

* * *

"Sakura," he said, admiring Sakura laying next to him. He loved the little moments, like when he woke up before her and he observed her relaxed look as she slept. It was beautiful to him, being able to spend time like this with her. He felt light and warm, like a hot air balloon. Sakura's hair always fell right across her forehead because she tended to flip around a lot in her sleep. He brushed it aside, revealing the dark patch of chakra in the center.

"Hmm?" Her eyes were closed and she smiled blissfully. "Morning, Sasuke," she mumbled.

"Marry me." It just slipped out, his desire. He had nothing to lose but her, and he _wanted_ to marry her. He felt his face flush with nervousness at his statement. Two words and it changed everything.

It took her a moment to register what he was saying, and when comprehension dawned on her, her eyes went wide open and she blinked at him.

He debated for a moment, letting it drop, pretending he hadn't said anything, but he cleared his throat and tried again. "Marry me, Sakura. I am already the happiest man in the world having you by my side."

She was still frozen in place, watching his lips as he spoke.

"It would be-"

She cut him off, pouncing on him, her arms squeezing him in a tight hug. "Yes! Yes. Yes."

He never felt happier.


	11. Clouds

AN: Ahhh, I'm overwhelmed with how fluffy this chapter is. We're almost there! I've been thinking of how to end the story and I think the next chapter will be the last. I'm not good at longer stories, so I don't want to drag it out! Let's sprint to the finish. :)

* * *

 **Chapter 11 - Clouds**

* * *

Sakura wasn't sure if she was dreaming. Sasuke had asked her to marry him and she had enthusiastically gave her consent. It had completely caught her off guard when he had sprung the question on her. It was more than she could ever hope for, but she wondered how things would change once they got married. She was daydreaming in her office, scribbling circles on the pad of paper.

"Sakura," a voice called, knocking on the door.

"Hai! Come in," she responded, breaking from her reverie.

Shizune held several files in her arms as she briskly crossed the room.

"You're going to be late, Sakura! We've got five people waiting to interview downstairs," Shizune said. "I know you're busy and all, but I didn't think you'd forget an appointment."

"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry, Shizune." Sakura quickly grabbed her things and piled it into a tote. "I'll head down with you now."

* * *

Sakura sighed and pushed her hair behind her ears. She needed a break and she really needed to clear her mind and concentrate. She met up with Sasuke for lunch and pouted as he chuckled at her complaint.

"It's all your fault!" Sakura exclaimed, jabbing her fork and knife frustratingly at her steak.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke took the fork and knife from her hands and sliced up the meat for her. He held up a piece on the fork and fed it to her.

Sakura's cheeks turned pink as she chewed, arms crossed. "You...what you said the other morning. I can't get my mind off of it."

She could see his eyes crinkle at the corners as he smiled. It melted her heart every time. He rubbed her hand with his gentle fingers and she felt herself smiling.

Sasuke whispered to her, "Why are you getting frustrated? Don't worry about anything yet. Just focus on your work. I know you can."

"You…" she started. "I just can't help but fill my head with thoughts of you sometimes. But you're right, I should focus. So forget about you!" She stuck her tongue out at him and focused on devouring the food in front of her. She could see Sasuke smirking as he ate his food as well.

It wasn't like Sakura to lose her head. Sasuke thought it was interesting how much his proposal had affected her. He couldn't take it back now, and he truly wanted to marry her. He had to go speak to her parents and tell them his intentions...that was the next hurdle for them. After that, he'd be more than happy to share the news with their friends. He knew Sakura was probably bursting to tell Ino already. He didn't mind that, but if Naruto caught wind, then the whole village would probably know by nightfall.

* * *

"Sasuke?" Sakura whispered. "Are you still awake?"

They were laying in bed, Sakura curled up with Sasuke warming her back. She couldn't sleep-her mind was just too awake.

"What's up?" Sasuke mumbled, clearly drowsier than she was.

She turned so that she was on her back, looking up at the ceiling. She pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, shifting to get comfortable.

"Are you sure you want to marry me?" she asked in a faint voice.

She had wondered if it was all too good to be true. What if Sasuke came to dislike her? Maybe some habit of her secretly annoyed him, like forgetting to do dishes. Sasuke was a perfectionist. What if she didn't live up to his expectations? She had a married couple arguing at the hospital earlier that day. It hurt, seeing them at each other's throats. It reminded her of when Sasuke fought her, and he had wanted to kill. She knew he was different now, but the image had haunted her.

Sasuke had opened his eyes wide upon hearing her question. She was looking at the ceiling, not looking at him directly. She was huddled under the blanket, clearly insecure. He shifted so that he could hug her, threading his arm under her hair.

"Sakura," he said softly. "I know we've had some bad times, and I did some unforgivable things, but I promise that I want you, I will cherish you as you deserve to be cherished for the wonderful woman that you are."

He stroked her cheek, kissing her hair. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

He squeezed her, feeling her fingers grip him tightly, not wanting to let go. "Look at me, Sakura."

She turned her head, her brows furrowed.

He touched his fingers to her forehead, right where her brows were creased. "The me that is in front of you now is the one that I want to be for the rest of my life. You make me a better person."

He leaned over and kissed her gently, then touched his forehead to hers. "I promise you, I am one hundred percent sure that I want to spend my life with you."

She nodded, her body relaxing in his arms. She blushed, her cheeks still warm in the dark.

She sheepishly said, "I'm still not sleepy though."

He shifted downwards, lifting her tank top up to expose her belly button. Then, he leaned in and took a deep breath...and blew a raspberry on her skin.

Sakura squealed, so ticklish, trying to push him away. He continued to aim for her skin, making her abs ache with laughter.

* * *

"Mom, is it okay if Sasuke comes over tomorrow night?" Sakura asked.

"Of course!" Mebuki responded as she cleaned up the dinner table. "I haven't seen him in a while anyway. You two have been good?"

"Yup," Sakura responded, not wanting to get into details on anything yet. "Dinner was great, Mom. I'm going to go take a bath."

Mebuki smiled as her daughter sauntered off. That love of hers was...Mebuki shook her head, smiling, thinking of how Kizashi made her feel. She was glad her daughter had found a loving partner in Sasuke.

Sasuke took a deep breath before knocking on the Haruno's front door. He had practiced what he'd say after dinner multiple times already. Sakura also reassured him that her parents shouldn't pose a problem.

"Come on in, Sasuke," Kizashi greeted him.

"How have you been, sir?"

"Good, good. We went on a short trip while you were gone-visited the lake. Oh, it was spectacular. Caught lots of fish!" Kizashi explained excitedly. It was like not seeing Sasuke often gave him lots of motivation to store up stories to tell him. They also talked about Sasuke being on his missions like he was only gone for a week. To them, it didn't matter.

Sasuke chatted with Kizashi for a bit before they headed to the kitchen table. The dinner was lovely as usual and Sasuke felt relaxed up until dessert. They had honey cakes and tea.

Sakura poured the tea into everyone's cups and guided the conversation. "Mom, dad...there's something Sasuke would like to talk to you about."

"Oh, what is it?" Mebuki asked.

Sakura sat back down and slipped her hand into his. It was reassuring as he spoke. "It would be a great honor if you would let me marry Sakura."

He bowed his head, feeling their stares. "I gave it a lot of thought and I am lucky to have Sakura supporting me through these years. I know I've done a lot of things wrong, but I wanted to do this right. I am fully prepared to start a family with Sakura. Will you give us your blessings?"

Kizashi clapped a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Sasuke, we'd be thrilled to have you a son-in-law."

Mebuki and Kizashi got up and hugged the two of them. Sakura's mom said, "Oh, this is so exciting! I'm so happy for both of you."

Sasuke let out a sigh of relief as Sakura smiled at him. Everyone then settled down in the living room with their tea and cake as they discussed wedding plans.

* * *

Shikamaru rarely had a chance to enjoy the clouds anymore. As he lay on the grass for the short break he had assigned himself, he watched the puffs of white drift by. There was no better feeling in the world than losing himself in the nothingness of watching the sky.

With a sigh, he collected himself, heading back to the Hokage's office. He had left Naruto holed up in the office with strict instructions. If Naruto didn't finish the revisions for the Union, he wasn't allowed to leave.

Upon returning, he saw Sasuke waiting outside the door.

"Can I help you?"

"Naruto refused to see me. Said he was busy."

"He is…" As Sasuke continued to stare a hole in the ground, Shikamaru asked. "Is it urgent?"

Sasuke brushed his hair back, scratching his brow. "Not quite, but…"

Shikamaru shrugged. He opened the door and called out to Naruto. "Five minute break."

"Yatta!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing his pen down. He stretched his fingers and wiggled his toes as he leaned back in the chair. Leaping up, he walked over to Sasuke. "So, what did you need?"

"I'm here to tell you…" Sasuke started. "I need to update my family registry."

"For what?" Naruto said. "Itachi's already been marked…" Naruto felt confused.

Shikamaru felt his brows raise, realizing already what Sasuke was saying.

Sasuke spelled it out for Naruto. "Sakura and I are getting married."

It took a second for it to kick in, then Naruto clobbered Sasuke in a hug. "WOW! I am so excited for you guys! This is crazy! Uchiha Sasuke, getting married! When? Did you ask her already? Of course, you did. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here telling me."

Naruto was bouncing off the walls now. "I'm invited, of course, yea?"

"Yes, yes…"

"Congrats, man," Shikamaru said, shaking Sasuke's hand.

"Thanks, it will still be a while before we actually get married, but consider us engaged."

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shoulder. "Wait, was I the first one you told?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Yes. Now, I should get going. Have to find Kakashi-sensei."

Naruto gave him a look that said "take me with you" as Shikamaru ushered him back to work.

Sasuke felt pleased as he left the poor guy to his work and sought out his teacher. No doubt Kakashi would have a thing or two to say about it, but he knew it would just be teasing. His heart felt light, filled with happiness at the prospect of marrying Sakura. It made him strangely optimistic. He chuckled as he headed to the bar.

* * *

"AHHHHHH!" Ino squealed, nearly bursting Sakura's eardrums. "THAT IS SO EXCITING!"

Sakura, thankfully, had brought up the topic while they were hanging out at her house. If it were the hospital, everyone within three floors probably would've heard Ino.

"Damn it, Forehead! You're going to be the first of us. Even Shikamaru and Temari haven't gotten married yet."

Sakura brushed it off. "We haven't even decided on the date yet. Who knows when it will be?"

"It's going to be April 8 next year. Because that's the luckiest day for the both of you and it will be a beautiful, outdoor wedding!" Ino was already running the idea through her head. "I'm going to help you plan it all out! It will be absolutely fabulous. Roses? No, maybe lilies would look nicer."

"Ino…" Sakura warned, "You know that Sasuke will have final say in things. Also, it's going to follow the Uchiha clan's traditions."

"I don't care! You've got to let me plan the reception at least," Ino pouted. The Uchihas took the fun out of everything.

"I'll check with Sasuke, but I'm sure he'll be okay with that. My parents are already planning things too."

Ino giggled all of a sudden. "You know...that means you're finally going to have sex! The wedding night will be _so_ important," Ino drawled as Sakura turned pink. Sakura waved her arms at Ino as she kept talking about naughty things.

It was true-the time would soon come where Sasuke would take it all the way with her. It was something that hadn't registered in her mind at first, but now...Sakura decided she needed to get some new "books" and fast.

* * *

Sasuke felt his cheeks turn hot when he was cleaning up around the house. Sakura had left a stack of books on the floor. Most of them were medical texts, but then, he found two books that fell into a different category. One had a leather cover engraved with the words "The Art of Pleasure" and the other had a blank, navy blue cover. Within the navy blue book, there were graphic illustrations of sex positions. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Sakura called out to him.

"Sasuke, I'm home!"

Sasuke hastily shut the book, but the sound was far too obvious. Sakura walked into the living room to see him holding the offending books in his hands.

"Umm…" he looked toward the ceiling, cursing himself for just standing frozen in place.

Sakura blushed. "Oh...yea. If you want to borrow it, I'm almost done reading them."

Sasuke felt the blood rush to his head. He felt for sure that he'd have an nosebleed.

* * *

The joyous news soon spread and congratulations were given. Their friends planned an engagement party at the bar. They rented a karaoke room and ordered beer and bottles of sake.

Naruto took up the microphone, of course, warbling some terrible rendition of an enka song. Kiba, Lee, and Naruto were sloshing their drinks while singing and dancing. Sasuke was relaxing on the couch, feeling the burn of sake in his belly. It was probably the burn of happiness as well. Sakura sat next to him with Tsunade, both drinking heartily. He didn't worry about her though, since she held her liquor better than the sannin.

The girls pushed the boys back to their seats as the next song started. Ino had looped Hinata and Tenten into doing a number with her. Tenten rattled the tambourine while Ino and Hinata focused on vocals. Sakura chugged the rest of her drink and joined them in the front of the room, singing off-key. Sasuke chuckled until everyone else forced him up to do a duet with Sakura.

* * *

"Oh my," Sakura groaned the next morning. She didn't want to get out of bed. She curled up under the covers, cocooning herself.

"You," Sasuke said, having already been awake for a while. He laid another blanket on top of the current one. "Stay in bed."

The next time Sakura opened her eyes, Sasuke was pulling the blanket up and setting a tray over her lap. She felt her stomach growl as the scent of hot chicken soup rose from the bowl settled on it.

Sasuke ladled some soup into a spoon and blew on it. "Here," he said, holding the spoon to her mouth.

She slurped it up, feeling warmth pervade her body. "Ahh...that's so good."

Sasuke released a breath of relief. "You had way too much fun last night. You refused to wear a jacket coming home and this morning, you were shivering. You're staying home today. I already called Ino."

Sakura didn't have the strength to refute his demands. She nodded meekly as Sasuke fed her more soup. She smiled as he tucked her back into bed and left the room. She drifted off into a deep slumber.

* * *

The altar was perched at the top of a mountain, the red gate standing out against the blue sky. Sakura felt herself sweating as she continued the arduous climb up the mountain in her wedding kimono. The wooden geta hurt her feet as she nearly stumbled on some pebbles. Her hairpin came loose and the wind blew her hair every which way, obscuring her vision.

"I'm going to marry him! Shannaro!" she exclaimed, revving herself up. She put all her power into her legs and made a giant leap, her body floating high above the clouds. As she fell back toward the mountain, she panicked, seeing the red gate approaching too quickly. But then, she felt a hand in hers. Sasuke's. The ground came into view now, morphing like a kaleidoscope. Things were stable. Her feet were firmly on the shut her eyes and reopened them to see the room around her.

* * *

It was a dream, vivid and strange. Her breathing was uneven, so she took several deep breaths, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth.

"Much better," she said.

"You're feeling better?" Sasuke said, entering the bedroom.

"Maa, I think so. I should eat though. Feeling so hungry all of a sudden. What time is it?"

Sasuke smiled, his eyes shining. "It's already evening. I made dinner though."

Sometimes, Sakura wondered if Sasuke secretly liked being a house husband. He seemed to really enjoy cooking for her.

Sasuke had made a clear broth with thick, white noodles. Layered on top were slices of pork, scallions, and cabbage. It was a light fare with lots of nourishment. She gripped his hand and thanked him before sitting down. He covered her back with his jacket before sitting down as well. She smiled at him from across the table, and he smiled back, his eyes soft and his aura warm and fuzzy.

This was the love she had always dreamed of.

* * *

Sasuke was out of the village again, this time as an envoy with Shikamaru for the Shinobi Union. The Union rotated the meeting locations periodically. The current meeting was being held in the Water Country at Kirigakure. With Sasuke gone, Sakura was being bombarded with wedding planning.

"Here, Sakura," Ino said, steering her towards accessories. "We've got to pick the perfect pieces for your hair. Sakura hadn't paid much attention to her hair, save for tying it back when needed. It had gotten long now, dipping past her shoulders. Ino had claimed it was perfect for wedding preparations. Long hair meant beautiful hair arrangements for the big day.

The hairpins and strings of pearls, jade, and gold were overwhelming. Sakura obediently tried on each piece though. Ino vetoed a bunch as they shopped.

"Girls," Mebuki called out from another aisle. "Try over here."

They headed over to where Sakura's mother was. There were a bunch of intricately carved hairpins. Mebuki held one of them up. It was a golden flower at the end of it, opening up mid-bloom. Ino deftly scooped up Sakura's hair into a loose bun and stuck the hairpin in place. It was just large enough to look intentional, yet not overwhelming.

"Stay still," Ino said, selecting a few other pieces to accent it.

When Ino was done and handed her a mirror, Sakura felt herself in awe. Golden strands of tiny flowers cascaded along the side of her head. At the top was the large pin surrounded by actual flowers, small white buds. Ino was pleased with Sakura's reaction.

"Now, smile," Ino said. "This is it. This will be your wedding look!"

Sakura smiled wide and hugged her and her mother. She felt incredibly blessed to look so beautiful for her wedding day. She thanked her best friend, feeling tears well up.

"Oh, you!" Ino said, pulling out a handkerchief. "It's not even the big day yet!"


	12. Spring

AN: This is it! The last chapter! I really enjoyed writing this story with its ups and downs and fluffiness and romantic tidbits. I never thought I'd writing something so long for a fanfic, but it's made it! A big thank you to everyone following and reviewing! It kept me motivated to finish this and do it well. Now, HERE'S YOUR SMUT WARNING. Hope it fulfills your SasuSaku dreams. ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 12 - Spring**

* * *

Bile rose in his throat as nervousness engulfed him. Sakura was going to kill him for sure-Naruto, that was.

"NARUTO!" she screamed, fist cracking the wall next to her.

"Sakura-chan, I can explain…" Naruto laughed nervously.

"Explain? How dare you-it's MY wedding!"

Sasuke reached forward tentatively towards Sakura's shoulder. He debated whether to let Sakura beat up Naruto or if he should stop her. The wedding was drawing nearer and with each day, Sakura grew more and more into a rather moody bride-to-be. He withdrew his hand, leaning back and observing.

Sakura had been having several outbursts due to wedding stress. Sasuke had been lucky to keep out of harm's way for the most part. (He didn't doubt his fiancee's ability to knock him out.) It often ended up being Naruto or Sai incurring Sakura's wrath. Unfortunately, today it was Naruto's turn.

"I thought it'd be a good thing, you know," Naruto said, hands up to protect himself. He glanced at Sasuke and then at Shikamaru, seeing neither of them caring to defend him. He gulped, seeing the flash of anger in Sakura's eyes.

Sakura roared, "You thought it'd be a good idea to invite the whole village to my wedding?!"

"Maa…"

Even Shikamaru didn't try to defend Naruto as Sakura punched.

"It was in the newspaper! And the picture!"

The windows of the Hokage's office shattered. The newspaper had printed the news of the Uchiha wedding and reception details with a short excerpt on Sakura and Sasuke's achievements. The picture posted with it was Team 7's old photo. The whole village was told to stop by the reception to give their well-wishes to the happy couple. After a good ten minutes, Sasuke reached for her hand, stopping her from pummeling Naruto any further.

"Sakura...It was partially my suggestion," Sasuke admitted. "I thought it'd be a good opportunity for the village to feel at ease. About me."

"Wha? Why didn't you say so?" Sakura asked, confused. She got up and pat the dust from her hands. Naruto groaned from the floor.

Sakura looked back at Naruto. "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY SO, BAKA!"

Naruto mumbled, "You didn't let me…"

"What did you say?" Sakura ground out dangerously.

"Nothing!"

Sasuke chuckled as he escorted Sakura out of the office. Naruto gave him a look that said, "You bastard. You're lucky we're best friends."

* * *

It was more than he could handle at the moment. It was beautiful-she was beautiful. His soon-to-be wife was glowing and her smile was contagious.

They had decided on a small ceremony with their closest friends and family, but the reception would be open to all. Sakura's parents were ecstatic and had helped set things up for the ceremony that morning. They were hosting the ceremony in the Uchiha compound, utilizing the largest courtyard. They had set up a narrow table in the front to serve as the altar. Sake cups, three for each side, were set up on it for the bride and groom.

Sasuke wore the traditional outfit, black with the Uchiha symbol embroidered on it. For his family members, he asked Kakashi and Naruto to partake in the ceremony. To him, Kakashi represented his parents and Naruto represented his brother. If his family could've been there, he was sure they'd be happy for him.

Sakura was dressed in the white kimono with the bridal hood covering her head. There were pink flower petals embroidered into the hem of her kimono, with red and gold accents along the hems. Her hair was pinned up by golden ornaments, twinkling as she walked. Her parents supported her to the altar and they began the ceremony.

Ino poured the sake into the cups and they each took the first cup. Sasuke and Sakura stood next to each other, exchanged cups, and took three sips in succession. Then, they moved on to the next cup, repeating the process. Everyone watched in silence. Once finished with the exchanging of sake, Sasuke then unfurled the scroll for the marriage vow. Sakura and he had agreed to make minor changes to reflect their intentions. They also had to defer to the Uchiha traditions.

Sasuke read aloud, "We make this marriage vow respectfully before our family and friends. We, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, are delighted to be able to make our vows on this great day, and to become husband and wife through the blessing of those gathered here.

"We swear to love and respect each other forever, and to strive to bring our family prosperity. We swear to be honest and true, to become each other's strength and support. Moreover, we swear never to veer from the true path of matrimony, and to work to help people and our village prosper.

"I, Uchiha Sasuke, take Haruno Sakura into the Uchiha clan. I vow to teach her the Uchiha customs and its meanings."

Sakura spoke now. "I, Uchiha Sakura, now take my new name. I vow to uphold the Uchiha customs and uphold my husband's and the clan's honor."

They then bowed twice to the altar and clapped twice, completing the ceremony. Everyone was then invited to drink sake with the newly married couple. While the ceremony itself was somber, Sakura instantly relaxed after it was over. Her parents had arranged food and drinks in a buffet-style for the reception. Those in the village who wished to offer their congratulations were welcome to join in the reception for lunch.

At first, Sasuke had been hesitant to make the formal announcement of their marriage known. He thought about enemies and the people who would try to use Sakura to take advantage of him. Sakura told him he was worrying about nothing though. She assured him that if anyone tried to kidnap her or something, she'd give them a beating to remember. We're shinobi, for goodness sakes! He had smirked at that. Of course, then Naruto had to go and put it in the announcement in the newspaper for the whole world to see...

It felt as if the whole village was his family now. There were honestly more people than he ever expected. (Apparently, the newspaper announcement had really caught everyone's attention.) Everyone had turned up to shake his hand and offer their sentiments. If Naruto, that obnoxious and persistent Naruto, hadn't brought him back from the darkness, he would have never reached this point in his life. Of course, some of them were just hoping to shake hands with the Nanadaime, he soon found out. It was rare for Naruto to be out of the office for this long.

Sakura was smiling and he could feel the happiness emanating from her. People smiled because he was smiling. Everyone was being jovial and enjoying the momentous occasion. It was a strange thing to be smiling so openly with everyone.

"Congrats," Kakashi said, giving him a firm handshake. Kakashi clapped his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "I'm proud of you. You've come a long way."

A long way was an understatement. It had been an arduous journey to retire his need for avenging his clan, to rediscover the goodness in the world, and to let positive emotions fill up his heart. It had been a short path for him to become comfortable with Sakura, to let his love for her show, and to make her his priority. His accomplishments became making her happy, watching her smile, and waking up next to her. Every moment became something precious to him.

Kakashi continued, "So...tonight's the big night!"

Sasuke felt his cheeks turn hot as Kakashi-sensei gave him a dirty look.

Kakashi continued, "Oh my...how my students have grown up! I mean, they're all in love and doing naughty things…"

Sasuke quickly made up an excuse to get away, only to be confronted by Sakura's father.

"Well, congratulations Sasuke-kun!" Kizashi whispered, "I've always wanted a son, but a grandson would be just as good. Eh? Haha!"

"DAD!" Sakura butted in, noticing Sasuke's nervous expression. "Why don't you grab a bite to eat before the food runs out?"

She smiled sweetly, but inwardly, was worried that Sasuke was getting overwhelmed by everyone in attendance. She also saw how Kakashi-sensei was giggling with Naruto to the side. She sent a murderous glare their way and they quickly scattered to the buffet.

"Sasuke, are you alright?" she asked, touching his cheek. She could see the blush gracing his cheeks and feel its warmth on her hand.

He mumbled, "I'm fine. It's just…you know."

"Shh, I do know," she said, caressing his cheek. "Ne...how about we leave?"

"Right now?" Sasuke asked, confused. "But-"

"Ino's going to kill me, but let's worry about that later. Let's leave! Start our honeymoon!" she replied, smiling brightly.

Sasuke took a moment to etch the image of his wife smiling up at him, her beauty and radiance. It was something he never wanted to forget. He nodded and she giggled, leading him away.

They snuck away, leaving everyone else to eat and drink to their heart's content. They quickly disappeared from the Uchiha compound.

* * *

It was sweet relief to kick off her shoes and sink her body into the couch of their new home. The construction had been completed a month prior and Sasuke had already started to fill it up with furniture, books, and decor. Sakura smiled as Sasuke turned on the lights so that she could see the whole house in its full splendor.

They had decided to start using the house as their home after getting married. The Uchiha compound would remain as it was, and they'd maintain it, but their home would be the new house. It was their place for the newest chapter of their life.

The weight of her kimono had really gotten to her now as Sasuke helped her up from the couch. She leaned against his chest, closing her eyes. They stood, embracing, in the middle of their new living room.

Sasuke felt his heart race as Sakura leaned back just slightly to look up at him. Her arms were settled around his neck, playing with the hair at his nape. He loosened the obi around her waist, untying the cord and unwinding the fabric. She kept her eyes locked on his as the kimono came loose. He slipped it off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. She bit her lips, but couldn't contain the sly smile.

He pulled on the sash for the second layer, revealing the skin underneath. She was only wearing a pair of white, lacy panties. She wiggled out of the robe and reached for his, letting her fingers trace the emblem of the Uchihas embroidered on his haori.

"Uchiha-san," he teased. "Are you going to take my clothes off or should I do it myself?"

She giggled, yanking his haori off and swiftly loosening his hakama. He kicked it aside, stalking towards her. She backed onto the couch and he got on top of her, kissing her deeply. Sasuke felt her warm body against his, keeping contact skin-on-skin.

He felt entirely enamoured with his wife. His wife. The words made him smile as he kissed her collarbone. He let his tongue trace the outline of it, feeling her breath catch as he moved toward her breasts. Every time she looked up at him with lidded eyes, burning him with her gaze. It ignited his passion and when she smiled slyly, he'd feel that the desire to ravish her. And tonight, he'd finally do it-ravish every inch of her. He smirked at the thought and she giggled.

"Well, darling?" He was pleased with her endearment. His wife, his lovely wife. He let his tongue roam over her left nipple, tracing circles and finally sucking on it. She arched her body, holding him close.

She moaned as his fingers rubbed the outside of her panties. The lacy material was like nothing-he felt how the fabric was already sopping wet. Her core was calling to him. He felt the ache of his erection, waiting for her.

"Sasuke...let's…" she whispered.

He understood and leaned back. She peeled off her panties and threw it aside, climbing on top of him, her legs by his head. She grabbed his erection firmly and sucked it in, letting her mouth work on it. He buried his face in her entrance, letting his tongue delve into her velvety depths. He wiggled his tongue inside her and relished in her throaty moans engulfing his cock. She sucked and swirled her tongue around his tip the way he liked it. They had spent enough time practicing these arts.

She was dripping wet with anticipation. He knew there were so many times where, they might've just gone all the way, but now, today was the moment.

"Sakura." He cleared his throat. He could feel her smirking mouth on him as she withdrew. "Let's move to the bed."

She nodded, speed walking as he followed her. She spread herself on the bed, looking up at him as he got on top. She wiggled, feeling him probing at her entrance.

"Sasuke-kun," she said breathily. She looked at him with the sweetest expression, filled with love. "Please."

He nodded, positioning himself. He watched her expression carefully as he pushed his cock inside. It felt incredible as he pushed into her, her insides tight around him. She cried out, gripping his neck as he stopped.

"Is it-?"

She took a deep breath. "Keep going."

He pushed in some more, feeling her fingers digging into him. Finally, he was all the way in. He gave her a moment as she relaxed. The sensation of her pussy squeezing him was tantalizing. He felt like he'd come at any moment. He took some deep breaths as well.

"I love you, Sasuke-kun," she said, opening her eyes to look up at him. "I'm okay. Let's…"

He slowly shifted, in and out. He moved slowly until she started to move as well. They fell into a rhythm of back and forth. He lifted one of her legs, changing the angle and she cried out. He could feel himself hitting the sweet spot inside her.

" _Oh, yes!_ Right there!"

He panted as he moved quicker, he leaned his head into her neck as she wrapped her arms around him tightly. She wrapped her legs around him, drawing him in closer. He gripped her ass firmly, reveling in the sound of skin slapping against skin as he moved his hips.

Her heated cheeks and short gasps were encouraging. She turned her face and kissed him. He groaned, the sensation overwhelming.

"I'm-" he groaned.

She nodded, crying his name as his thrusts became frenzied.

"Ahhh! Sasuke!" she called out, her core squeezing him.

He pumped deeply into her as he came, the sensation much different now that he came inside her. He did it, feeling the warmth of her body against his as he slowly pulled out and lay beside her. She lay a hand across his chest and leaned against him. He let his arm wrap around her. She smiled as she hugged him.

He didn't say anything, just smiled back and turned to snuggle up against her.

* * *

Keeping to themselves in the days following their wedding, Sasuke and Sakura made themselves comfortable in their new home.

"The weather's beautiful today!" Sakura exclaimed, opening the windows wide. The fresh, spring air and the warm sun always made her smile. She breathed it in, the scent of spring.

"What should we do today?" Sasuke asked, cleaning up the dishes from their breakfast. He seemed quite cheerful, seemingly excited for the day ahead of them.

It was a loaded question. The newlyweds had spent the past week relaxing and enjoying each other's company. Sakura still had the hospital to manage and Sasuke would probably pick up missions again soon. As much as time away from work was nice, Sakura knew things would be messy once she returned.

She looked out at the empty yard. There weren't too many houses built in the area yet. Much of the district was still under development. Konoha was growing. Things were changing. Things _had_ changed.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the phone rang. They had a landline in the house and hadn't expected much use out of it yet.

"Hello?" Sakura said, answering the phone.

"Yo, Sakura-chan!" Naruto's cheery voice said.

"Naruto? I thought-" She wondered how Naruto had gotten a hold of their phone number already. They had only installed the phone two weeks ago!

"Yea, yea. I know you guys said not to disturb you, but Tsunade-baachan wanted to speak to you."

Sakura heard the familiar voice of her mentor.

"Sakura? I'm telling you now-don't come back early. I'll take care of things with Shizune."

"Whaa?" Sakura was confused.

Tsunade clarified things. "I'm talking about work. You deserve time off! Spend more time with your husband. You've been working hard ever since the war ended."

She could hear Naruto fighting Tsunade for the phone all of a sudden. Naruto whined as Tsunade told him to wait his turn.

"Anyway, like I was saying," Tsunade continued. "I've got the team together and I'm reviewing everything already. You've kept things well-organized. I have no doubt that things will be fine for a while."

Naruto chimed in. "I've also approved Sasuke's request! You're good to go!"

"What request? Go where?" Sakura asked, feeling more lost. Sasuke intercepted the phone at this point, taking the receiver from her hands.

"Thanks," Sasuke responded to Naruto. "I'll keep you updated."

And then, Sasuke hung up the phone. Sakura looked at him, wondering what had just transpired. Sasuke chuckled.

"Sasuke, what's going on?"

"I told him to call when it was set," Sasuke explained. "I talked to everyone beforehand to make the arrangements."

Sakura was stunned into silence.

"Tsunade, Shizune, and Ino will take care of things while we're gone. Naruto approved an extended intelligence mission for us. It's not much really, but we're going to be travelling and just sending him periodic updates. Long as there's peace and nothing serious going on, we're good."

Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Her mind was quickly processing what Sasuke was stating.

"So...we're going on a trip," Sasuke concluded simply. "A sanctioned vacation, if you will."

Her husband had orchestrated things behind the scenes so that they could actually have a real vacation and be together for a while. She had been under the impression that they'd be back to work in no time, yet here he was with that familiar smirk on his face. He was pleased that he had surprised her.

"For how long?" she asked, curious. It was true that Tsunade could obviously handle things at the hospital, but it still bugged Sakura.

Sasuke held up a hand. "Nope, don't even think about it."

"But-"

"It's as long as we want. I told Naruto a year."

Her eyes went wide at that revelation. A year?!

"Everything is taken care of," Sasuke said. "Now, all you have to do is pack."

Her heart felt so light, full of warmth, brimming with excitement. Sasuke hugged her, kissing her forehead. She giggled as he gripped her tightly, a beautiful smile gracing his usually serious face. He knew her heart well-how much she had craved a break from work. Being the workaholic she was and how much she contributed to keeping things running smoothly, she didn't want to stay away from work for long. He knew her heart though.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" she called out, laughing, a huge grin taking over. "You're the best!"

She clung to him, relishing in being in his strong embrace.

"Only for you," he whispered.

* * *

AN: Thanks for joining me on this wonderful journey! For myself, I haven't wrote in a while so this story just kind of sprung up so easily. I hope you've enjoyed it. :)


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